CBAM for aluminium importers: default values and cost

What is covered

CBAM covers unwrought aluminium and the products made from it: powders, bars, profiles, wire, plate and sheet, foil, tubes and fittings, structures, containers and fasteners. 24 CN codes in this sector carry a default value. To check one code, use the scope checker.

Typical default values and cost per tonne

Defaults are tCO2e per tonne of product for 2026, mark-up included, as medians across the origins with their own value. Cost is certificates per tonne after the free-allocation deduction, at the Q3 2026 price of €82.32, from the Q3 2026 cost index.

Product	Default, tCO2e/t	Cost/t, median	Cost/t, range	Other countries
Unwrought aluminiumCN 7601 · 67 origins	0.40	€25.29	€25.29–€175.37	€85.27

Your figure depends on your exact code and origin. The country table below has every value; the calculator prices one line and the bulk calculator prices a whole import list.

What applies to aluminium importers

Aluminium defaults count direct emissions only. The electricity behind the smelter is not in the CBAM number.
Defaults carry a mark-up on top of the country average: 10% in 2026, 20% in 2027 and 30% from 2028.
An importer whose CBAM goods total no more than 50 tonnes net mass in a calendar year is exempt. The 50 tonnes are cumulative across iron and steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers, not per consignment.
Certificates for 2026 imports go on sale from 1 February 2027 and are surrendered with the annual declaration by 30 September 2027.

The actual-emissions lever

The spread between origins is wide, and so is the spread between plants. Aluminium made largely from recycled scrap, or from a smelter with low direct emissions, can sit well below its country's default. A verified figure from the producer is the only way to use it, and for downstream goods like foil and sheet that means data on the metal they were made from too.

To collect the figures, send the producer the supplier emissions questionnaire. How defaults and verified data compare is in CBAM default values explained.

Frequently asked questions

What does CBAM cost per tonne of unwrought aluminium?

At the Q3 2026 certificate price of €82.32 per tonne of CO2e, 2026 imports of unwrought aluminium (CN 7601) at the default values cost €25.29 to €175.37 of certificates per tonne across 67 origins, median €25.29. Origins without their own value use the Other countries figure, €85.27 per tonne. The figure is after the free-allocation deduction and before any carbon price paid at origin.

Which aluminium products does CBAM cover?

24 CN codes from headings 7601 to 7616: unwrought aluminium, powders and flakes, bars, rods and profiles, wire, plate, sheet and strip, foil, tubes and fittings, structures, containers, stranded wire and some fasteners and other articles.

Are indirect emissions counted for aluminium?

No. The aluminium default values carry direct emissions only, so the power used in smelting does not enter the CBAM number. What counts is the direct emissions at the plant and in the metal it was made from.

Does the 50-tonne exemption apply to aluminium?

An importer whose CBAM goods total no more than 50 tonnes net mass in a calendar year is exempt. The 50 tonnes are cumulative across iron and steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers, not per consignment.