€75.36! First CBAM certificate price released—calculate your Q1 “hidden” export costs now
On April 7, the EU announced the first CBAM certificate price at €75.36. This price applies only to CBAM-covered goods exported to the EU in Q1 2026. In other words, CBAM goods exported to the EU between January 1 and March 31, 2026, will be subject to a carbon cost calculated at €75.36 per ton.
Example of CBAM tax calculation under the first CBAM certificate price | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Calculation Method | Export Volume（t） | Taxable Emissions1（tCO2/t） | Price of CBAM certificates（EU/t CO2） | Cost（EU） |
Default value | 1000 | 3.18 | 75.36 | 239,645 |
Actual value | 1000 | 2.50 | 75.36 | 239,645 |
For example, assuming a Chinese exporter ships 1,000 tons of Product A in Q1, and the taxable emissions are 3.18 tCO₂/t under the default value method and 2.50 tCO₂/t under the actual value method, the corresponding CBAM liability can be calculated accordingly.
According to CBAM regulations, the EU will calculate and publish quarterly CBAM certificate prices in 2026, based on the average EU ETS auction clearing price. Each price applies to CBAM goods imported into the EU during the respective quarter. The first CBAM certificate price was published on April 7, 2026, while prices for Q2 to Q4 2026 will be released on July 6, October 5, and January 4, 2027, respectively, applying to imports in each corresponding quarter. From 2027 onward, the EU will publish weekly average prices and calculate CBAM costs based on these weekly averages.
