CBAM Readiness Checklist

A typical bill of lading carries about 15 fields. A CBAM submission needs data it was never built to hold. This checklist maps the six gaps between what you have today and what the EU actually requires, with the fix for each one before the first annual declaration falls due on 30 September 2027.

Get it wrong and your EU buyer falls back to default values, which carry a 10% markup in 2026 rising to 30% by 2028 and often run 30–80% above real emissions, at a certificate price the EU now publishes quarterly (EUR 75.28 for Q2 2026). That cost lands back on you at the next contract negotiation. Get it right and you become the supplier they keep.

Not sure you are still in scope after the 50-tonne exemption? Check in one minute with the free CBAM checker.

What's inside

1. Confirm your exposure 5 checks
2. Understand exactly what the EU is asking for 5 checks
3. Audit the data you already have 4 checks
4. Decide: verified actuals or default values 5 checks
5. Fix the data plumbing 4 checks
6. Prepare for the annual cycle 5 checks

28 practical checks across 6 sections.

Written for the compliance and operations leads who actually assemble the submission, at exporters of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, or electricity selling into the EU.

Unlock the full checklist

Drop your work email and all six sections open right here, with a PDF copy to keep.