CBAM goes live: EU importers face first carbon levy payments — are you compliant?

THIS ISSUE COVERS / AU SOMMAIRE

→CBAM Definitive Regime — First Declarations Due
→EU Critical Raw Materials Act: First Strategic Projects Approved
→German & Polish Industrial Electricity Prices Remain Elevated
→Red Sea Diversions: Asia–Europe Freight 35–50% Above Pre-Crisis
→EU Flat Steel Imports Surge as Domestic Mills Cut Output
→Regulation Watch: CBAM Q1 Certificate Surrender Deadline
→Pricing Signal: Lithium Carbonate Stabilising After 2025 Trough
→M&A: Brenntag acquires Iberian specialty chemicals platform

THIS WEEK'S BRIEF / LE BRIEF DE LA SEMAINE

CBAM's transitional phase is over and the first definitive-period financial obligations are landing on EU importers' desks. Meanwhile, the EU Critical Raw Materials Act is accelerating project approvals that will reshape sourcing in lithium, rare earths, and copper over the next 18 months. Energy costs across Germany and Poland remain elevated, compressing margins for energy-intensive buyers, and Red Sea diversions continue to inflate freight costs on Asia–Europe routes. Here is what you need to act on this week.

SIGNAL ITEMS / SIGNAUX

CBAM Definitive Regime Is Live — First Declarations Due

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive phase on January 1, 2026, replacing the transitional reporting-only period. EU importers of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilizers, hydrogen, and electricity must now purchase CBAM certificates corresponding to embedded carbon emissions. First quarterly financial declarations cover January–March 2026, with deadlines triggering in Q2 2026 for many categories.

Procurement teams sourcing any of the six covered commodities from non-EU suppliers must now have verified carbon-content data from counterparties or face certificate overpayment and potential penalties.

Source / Source: European Commission — CBAM Regulation (EU) 2023/956, Q1 2026 implementation updates

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