CBAM Cement CN Codes: Which South African Cement Products Are in Scope

CBAM Cement CN Codes: South African Exporter Reference

Cement is one of the five sectors covered by CBAM from 1 January 2026. The cement sector has a relatively low EU default emission value (0.87 tCO₂/t with markup) compared to aluminium and hydrogen, but cement is produced in large volumes — making the aggregate CBAM liability significant for major exporters.

Cement CN Codes in CBAM Scope

South African Cement Industry

South Africa's cement industry is dominated by three major producers:

South Africa's cement production is primarily consumed domestically. However, cement clinker is sometimes exported to neighbouring countries and occasionally to EU markets.

The Cement Carbon Challenge

Cement production is inherently carbon-intensive due to the calcination of limestone:

• CaCO₃ (limestone) → CaO (lime) + CO₂

This process emission accounts for approximately 60% of cement's carbon footprint and cannot be eliminated without carbon capture technology. The remaining 40% comes from fuel combustion in the kiln.

Typical embedded emissions for South African cement:

• Process emissions (calcination): ~0.53 tCO₂/t cement
• Fuel combustion: ~0.25 tCO₂/t cement
• Electricity: ~0.05 tCO₂/t cement
• Total: ~0.83 tCO₂/t cement

This is close to the EU default of 0.87 tCO₂/t (with markup), suggesting that actual and default values may be similar for most SA cement producers.

CBAM and Cement Clinker

Cement clinker (CN 2523.10) is the intermediate product of cement production — the calcined limestone before grinding. Clinker has higher embedded emissions per tonne than finished cement (because it hasn't been diluted with gypsum and other additives).

The EU default emission value for clinker is higher than for cement, reflecting this higher carbon intensity.

Calculate Your Cement CBAM Exposure

Use the CBAM Calculator [blocked] to model your specific cement CBAM liability.