The 2026 CBAM certificate price is set per quarter under Article 21(1a) of Regulation (EU) 2023/956: €75.36 for the first quarter, €75.28 for the second, €82.32 for the third. The fourth-quarter price is due on 4 January 2027. Each price applies to goods imported in that quarter, although certificates go on sale only from 1 February 2027.
What are the published 2026 prices?
The Commission’s price page lists three of the four quarterly prices. One certificate covers one tonne of CO2e.
| Quarter of import | Price per certificate | Published |
|---|---|---|
| First quarter 2026 | €75.36 | 7 April 2026 |
| Second quarter 2026 | €75.28 | 6 July 2026 |
| Third quarter 2026 | €82.32 | 5 October 2026 |
| Fourth quarter 2026 | Not yet published | Due 4 January 2027 |
From the third quarter of 2026 the CBAM registry also shows the prices to declarants.
How is the quarterly price calculated?
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2548 sets the method. The price is the quarterly average of EU ETS auction clearing prices, each auction weighted by the volume of allowances sold, rounded to the nearest cent. Auctions on the common auction platform and the opt-out platforms count; cancelled auctions do not. The recitals explain that auctions for buildings, road transport and additional sectors are left out.
The Commission calculates each price in the first calendar week of the next quarter. It publishes it on the first working day of the following week. Only the Commission publishes the price, and every Member State sells at it.
Which quarter’s price applies to a shipment?
The quarter of import, meaning the quarter in which customs accept the declaration releasing the goods for free circulation, as for goods produced in 2025 and imported in 2026. Article 1(6) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2548 ties each price to “the quarter of importation of the goods”. The purchase date does not change it. The Commission’s CBAM Q&A says certificates for 2026 imports are bought “from February 2027 and before 30 September 2027”, still at the import quarter’s price.
Certificates cannot be transferred or sold to another person. Excess ones can be repurchased in 2027 at the price paid, and any still held are cancelled without compensation on 1 November 2027, as part of the certificate cycle.
Example: an illustrative 1,000 certificates needed for 2026 imports, by quarter of import.
- First quarter: 1,000 x €75.36 = €75,360.
- Second quarter: 1,000 x €75.28 = €75,280.
- Third quarter: 1,000 x €82.32 = €82,320, or €6.96 a certificate (9.2%) more than the first.
- Fourth quarter: not calculable until 4 January 2027.
How is the CBAM price set from 2027?
From 2027 the price becomes weekly, the average auction clearing price of each calendar week. It is published on the first working day of the next week and applies to sales from the following working day for one week. The CBAM deadlines for 2026 and 2027 set out the dates, and the CBAM cost calculator applies a price to a shipment.
Sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/956, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2548, Commission price page, Commission CBAM Q&A
GreenSutra’s CBAM service prepares the installation data and records that an accredited verifier checks. It does not verify. The CBAM guide covers the rest of the cycle.