The European Commission confirmed on April 7, 2026 that the first quarterly price for Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) certificates is set at €75.36 per metric tonne of CO₂ equivalent. This price reflects the average closing price of EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) allowances auctioned during January through March 2026.
CBAM entered its definitive phase on January 1, 2026. From that date, companies importing steel, cement, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity, and hydrogen into the EU must purchase CBAM certificates to cover the embedded carbon emissions of their goods. The Q1 2026 price of €75.36/tCO₂e is the first concrete cost signal these importers have received under the full compliance regime.
Certificate sales on the central EU platform will not begin until February 1, 2027, and the first actual surrender of certificates — covering emissions from all goods imported in 2026 — is due by September 30, 2027. Quarterly CBAM prices will continue to be published for Q2, Q3, and Q4 2026, calculated from EU ETS weekly averages. From 2027 onward, CBAM certificate prices will align directly with weekly ETS auction prices.
The CBAM is designed to prevent carbon leakage — the risk that EU producers facing carbon costs are undercut by cheaper, higher-emission imports from countries without comparable carbon pricing. By attaching a carbon cost to imported goods, the EU levels the competitive playing field and creates incentives for trading partners to strengthen their own climate policies.
The April 7 price announcement came less than a week after the European Commission tabled its separate legislative proposal to reform the EU ETS Market Stability Reserve (MSR), halting the automatic invalidation of allowances above the 400 million threshold. The two measures together signal that EU carbon market architecture is actively evolving to manage both price stability and external competitiveness.
Key timeline: CBAM definitive phase began January 1, 2026. Q1 certificate price confirmed April 7 at €75.36/tCO₂e. Certificate sales on central platform begin February 1, 2027. First surrender deadline: September 30, 2027.
For corporate buyers and industrial operators, the €75.36 price point is the first real-world anchor for CBAM compliance cost planning. Companies with supply chains sourcing CBAM-covered goods from non-EU markets now have a concrete Q1 figure against which to model their 2026 compliance exposure.
At TrustVal, we work with industrial clients to map embedded carbon in their supply chains, assess CBAM certificate obligations, and develop strategies to reduce exposure through supplier engagement and sourcing shifts. The definitive phase of CBAM marks the transition from reporting obligations to financial compliance — and the cost of inaction is now quantifiable.
TrustVal helps corporate buyers and project developers navigate carbon markets with confidence. Talk to our team about your CBAM compliance strategy and carbon market positioning.
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