Impact of CBAM on price settings

CBAM: impact on imports and prices from 2026 onwards

As of 1 January 2026, the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regulation will enter into force. This measure aims to fairly compensate for the CO₂ emissions generated during the production of carbon-intensive goods (such as fastening materials) outside the European Union.

In practice, this means that a CO₂ levy will be applied to the import of such products into Europe from 2026 onwards.

 

Impact of CBAM on our pricing

At the end of December 2025, the EU published the final implementation guidelines. Based on these guidelines, we have been able to calculate the expected CBAM costs. These costs are significant and have been applicable since 01/01/2026.

A key parameter in the calculation is the emission value used. The actual CO₂ emissions from the production process may only be used if they have been officially verified by an accredited verification body.
At present, these verification bodies are not yet accredited for CBAM. As a result, it is highly uncertain whether verification can take place in time. Until this is possible, emissions must be calculated using EU default values. These default values are significantly higher than the actual emissions, leading to high CBAM costs.

pgb-Europe is doing everything possible to limit the impact for you. We are intensively optimizing our procurement processes, but based on the current information available, we are obliged to include these additional CBAM costs in our prices.

 

Key points to note

 

• CBAM is charged per ton of product.
  Products with a high value per unit weight (e.g. wood screws) are proportionally less affected than products with a low value per unit weight (e.g. nuts and washers). Therefore, the impact varies by product.
•  Actual emission values can only be used with officially verified data over a 12-month period.
  This applies not only to the manufacturer of the fastening materials, but also to the producers of semi-finished products and raw materials (such as steel). At present, it is unclear to what extent this data will be available in time.
•  Without verification, we are required to use EU default values.
  These vary significantly depending on the country of origin and the specific commodity code and are often substantially higher than the actual values, which increases CBAM costs.
•  CO₂ emissions are compensated through the purchase of CBAM certificates.
  The price of these certificates is linked to EU ETS emission allowances and may fluctuate daily.

We remain committed to a sustainable and transparent partnership.

If you have any questions or would like additional clarification, please feel free to contact us – we will be happy to assist you.

More information about CBAM can be found on the website of the European Commission.

Related news

• website of the European Commission related to CBAM