# Steel and Aluminum Exporters: CBAM Compliance Checklist

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/climate-intelligence/steel-aluminum-exporters-cbam-compliance-checklist

Published 2025-01-15.

Steel and aluminum are priority sectors under EU CBAM. If you export to Europe, compliance preparation must start now.

**Why Steel and Aluminum First:**

- High carbon intensity, especially for blast-furnace steel and primary aluminium
- Significant trade volume to EU
- Clear emission measurement methodologies
- Direct competition with EU producers facing carbon costs

**CBAM Compliance Checklist:**

**□ Data Infrastructure:**

- Track fuel consumption by production process
- Monitor electricity use per unit produced
- Record raw material inputs and origins
- Implement document management system

**□ Emission Calculations:**

- Calculate Scope 1 (direct from fuel combustion)
- Calculate Scope 2 (from purchased electricity)
- Determine embedded emissions per product
- Apply correct emission factors (IPCC or verified)

**□ Reporting Capability:**

- Quarterly reports were filed by EU importers during the transitional period (October 2023 to end 2025)
- From 2026, EU authorised declarants file annual CBAM declarations (the first, for 2026 imports, is due 30 September 2027) using verified actual emissions or default values
- Data available for EU importer requests

**□ Verification Readiness:**

- Third-party verification capability
- Audit trail for all calculations
- Documentation of methodology

**Your Action Items:**

1. [Baseline current emissions](https://senseible.earth/) from existing data
2. Identify emission intensity per product
3. Compare to EU benchmarks
4. Plan reduction investments

Explore [CBAM preparation details](https://senseible.earth/climate-intelligence/cbam-compliance-indian-exporters) and start building your [carbon verification](https://senseible.earth/verify) capability.

## Related guides

- [Can we reroute supply chains to reduce CBAM exposure legally?](https://senseible.earth/climate-intelligence/reroute-supply-chains-reduce-cbam-exposure)
- [CBAM for Indian Exporters: What Changed on 1 January 2026](https://senseible.earth/climate-intelligence/cbam-compliance-indian-exporters)
- [BRSR Reporting Requirements in India: Who Reports, BRSR Core and Value-Chain Rules](https://senseible.earth/climate-intelligence/brsr-reporting-requirements-india)