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Technical Report · April 2026

CBAM & South African Exports: A Technical Compliance Guide

A comprehensive analysis of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism's impact on South African steel, aluminium, fertiliser, cement, and hydrogen exporters — with default emission values, calculation methodology, and compliance roadmap.

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PDF · 48 pages · EUR-Lex citations · Wikidata Q-codes

01

What is CBAM?

An overview of Regulation (EU) 2023/956, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, its legal basis, and the transition timeline from the reporting phase (2023–2025) to the definitive phase (2026–2034).

02

South African Export Exposure

Analysis of South Africa's annual EU export volumes across the five CBAM sectors, with SARS trade data, DTIC sector reports, and estimated CBAM liability ranges at current EU ETS prices.

03

Default Emission Values

The EU Commission's default embedded emission values for each sector: 2.18 tCO₂/t steel, 12.4 tCO₂/t aluminium, 2.85 tCO₂/t fertilisers, 0.87 tCO₂/t cement, 10.9 tCO₂/t hydrogen — and the 10% markup penalty applying from 2026.

04

Calculation Methodology

Step-by-step guide to calculating Scope 1 and Scope 2 embedded emissions using the EU Commission's implementing regulation methodology, with worked examples for each sector.

05

Compliance Roadmap

A practical 18-month compliance roadmap for South African exporters: from data collection and emission factor verification to authorised declarant registration and the first certificate surrender on 30 September 2027.