SMR Stainless Club: EURANIMI calls for CBAM grace period as imports’ cost remains uncertain

EURANIMI has urged the European Commission (EC) to grant a six-month grace period before stainless steel importers are required to surrender CBAM’s certificates reports Kateryna Samoilenko for SMR Stainless Club on 31 August, 2025.  Log in to the SMR website to access this article and other premium content.

The association, which represents non-integrated metal importers and distributors across Europe, warns that companies are being pressured to sign contracts for 2026 without fully understanding the rules of CBAM application, particularly the associated costs. “Contracts for next year are being signed now. Without clarity, our members cannot calculate costs, negotiate prices, or guarantee supply,” EURANIMI said.

Their concern comes right after the EC reaffirmed the January 1, 2026, launch date of CBAM’s fiscal phase (when the financial obligation of importers will begin) and then opened three new consultations on its most critical elements, including benchmarks, default values, and deduction rules for third-country carbon prices. Launching consultations only four months before CBAM is due to start suggests that Brussels is still unprepared, while importers have to bear all the uncertainty.

EURANIMI stresses that the risks are particularly serious in the stainless steel sector. EU production is fully scrap-based, and since scrap has zero emissions under CBAM rules, the EU benchmark (the reference value used to reduce the CBAM obligation) will fall far below global averages. Imports made via blast furnaces or Nickel Pig Iron (NPI) smelting will face significantly higher CBAM costs, potentially erasing distributors’ margins.

According to EURANIMI, the EC could introduce relief through transitional exemptions in its implementing acts. Unlike a formal postponement, which would require approval from both Parliament and the Council, such exemptions fall within the Commission’s powers and can be applied quickly. EURANIMI believes that it would not alter CBAM’s legislative timeline or weaken its intent, but would instead delay the start of the financial obligation until definitive benchmarks and rules are published, providing importers and customs authorities with the necessary breathing space to adapt.

In the meantime, the EC will gather feedback from all stakeholders until September 25, with the intention of issuing draft implementing acts regarding emissions calculations, default values, benchmarks, and the recognition of third countries’ prices during Q4. However, many market participants remain skeptical about that deadline, stating that some pieces of legislation will be finalized after the CBAM definitive phase commences.

—

SMR Stainless Club
English
31 August 2025