The European Commission has announced that the first official price of CBAM certificates will be published on 7 April 2026, marking an important step in the further implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The announcement of the first certificate price represents the transition of CBAM into a new implementation phase. CBAM is a European Union instrument designed to ensure that imported products carry a carbon price equivalent to that paid by EU producers, thereby preventing so-called carbon leakage and ensuring fair competition between European producers and importers.
According to the European Commission, importers of goods covered by CBAM will be required to purchase CBAM certificates starting in February 2027 in order to cover emissions associated with goods imported during 2026.
During 2026, the price of CBAM certificates will be determined quarterly as the average auction price of emission allowances within the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This approach aims to ensure transparency and alignment between CBAM certificate prices and the EU carbon market price.
The European Commission will calculate certificate prices during the first week following the end of each quarter, with publication on the first working day of the following week. Planned publication dates for 2026 are:
- 7 April 2026 – price for the first quarter
- 6 July 2026 – price for the second quarter
- 5 October 2026 – price for the third quarter
- 4 January 2027 – price for the fourth quarter
Prices will be published on the European Commission’s CBAM website and in the CBAM registry, which serves as the central system for managing emission reporting and certificates.
