50 t is roughly two containers of goods. The threshold is set in Article 2a and Annex VII of Regulation (EU) 2023/956.
How the 50 t are counted
- The net mass of the goods listed in Annex I of the CBAM Regulation counts, for all CN codes together.
- It is counted per importer and per calendar year, no matter how many customs brokers you use.
- If you pass 50 t during the year, CBAM obligations apply to all imports of that year, not only to the part above the threshold.
- Hydrogen and electricity have no threshold: any import means CBAM obligations.
- The European Commission reviews the threshold every year and may change it by delegated act.
Examples
| Imports in one year | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 30 t steel pipes + 15 t aluminium profiles + 10 t cement | 55 t | Above the threshold: CBAM obligations for all 55 t |
| 20 t steel pipes + 25 t aluminium profiles | 45 t | Below the threshold, if you import no more CBAM goods until 31 Dec |
| Any quantity of hydrogen | no threshold | CBAM obligations |
What follows if you are above the threshold
You need the status of authorised CBAM declarant, requested in the CBAM Registry from the competent authority of your EU country (in Romania, the Ministry of Finance). Then you submit the annual declaration and surrender certificates, for the first time by 30 Sep 2027 for 2026 imports. Below 50 t a year you need no authorisation, declaration or certificates.
You can check your total quickly with the 50 t check on the home page.