CBAM default values: the expensive fallback

When an importer can't show verified embedded emissions for your goods, the Commission's default values apply — set conservatively per product (and with country mark-ups), so defaults almost always cost MORE than your real number.

Calculate your carbon bill →CBAM guide

How defaults work

Defaults are product-level embedded-emission intensities published by the European Commission for the CBAM transitional and definitive periods. Logic: (1) if actual, verified data exists → use it; (2) if not → default for the exporting country; (3) where country data is unreliable → default based on the WORST-performing EU installations plus a mark-up. The system is designed to make non-reporting the most expensive option.

Typical intensity context (why your real number is usually lower)

Product	Typical real intensity	Why measuring pays
Steel (BF-BOF)	≈1.9 t CO2/t	modern plants beat old averages
Cement (clinker-heavy)	≈0.7 t/t	low-clinker mixes far below default
Aluminium (direct)	≈1.6 t/t	indirect varies 0–15 t by grid
Ammonia	≈2.0 t/t	efficient SMR below default

Official default tables: EC CBAM portal (updated per period — always use the current publication). At €75.36/t, every 0.1 t/t of intensity you can prove below default ≈ €7.5 per tonne of product saved.

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What exporters should do

Install MRV-grade measurement — meters + an auditable method (EU MRV or equivalent).
Get it verified — accredited verifier; Türkiye-style national MRV often maps directly.
Cut the intensity — efficiency measures (heat-loss elimination, waste-heat recovery) lower the verified number itself.
Hand the data to your importer — they declare; you win the price negotiation.

FAQ

Questions

What are CBAM default values?

Commission-published fallback emission intensities per product, used when no verified actual data is supplied. They are deliberately conservative — often based on worst-performing EU installations plus a mark-up.

Are default values higher than real emissions?

Almost always for competently-run plants — that's the design intent. Reporting verified actuals is normally the cheapest compliance route.

Where are the official CBAM default values published?

On the European Commission's CBAM portal (taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu) — republished per period; always use the current table, not cached copies.

Can I switch from defaults to actual data later?

Yes — per declaration period. Each period reported with verified actuals replaces the default for those goods.

How this page is built: heat-loss figures follow ASTM C680 / ISO 12241 (the method behind our public calculators); facility emissions from Climate TRACE & EU ETS verified data across 30,000+ industrial sites; the 2026–2034 schedule is Regulation (EU) 2023/956, not a forecast. Published by Inzonex — manufacturer of modular removable insulation (UK Patent GB2508992.1). Spotted an error? Tell us — we correct on evidence.