USTR asks how the EU's carbon border charge affects US exporters
The US trade office is collecting comments on the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and on EU plans to widen it. Comments are due by 9 November.
Known
- USTR published a request for comments on 8 October 2026 (Federal Register notice 2026-20615). - It asks about the current and possible impact of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on US producers, including small and medium-sized producers, workers, exports and overall US trade with the EU. - CBAM covers aluminum, cement, electricity, fertilizer, hydrogen, and iron and steel. EU importers of these goods must declare embedded emissions and buy CBAM certificates. - The EU began full implementation of CBAM on 1 January 2026, and is considering extending it to downstream steel- and aluminum-intensive products. - The deadline for comments is 9 November 2026.
Not known yet
- What USTR will do with the comments. - Whether the EU will adopt the wider coverage, and when.
The Office of the US Trade Representative is asking businesses how the European Union's carbon border charge affects their trade.
Under the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, importers of aluminum, cement, electricity, fertilizer, hydrogen, and iron and steel must declare the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted in making those goods, and buy CBAM certificates based on that amount. Full implementation began on 1 January 2026.
What USTR is asking
The request, published on 8 October, seeks comments on:
• the impact of CBAM on US producers, including small and medium-sized ones, workers, and US exports to the EU;
• the possible impact of EU proposals to extend CBAM to downstream steel- and aluminum-intensive products.
USTR says the comments will inform its continued engagement with the EU on CBAM.
Deadline
Comments are due by 9 November 2026.