CBAM är en del av EU:s klimatstrategi för att minska utsläpp och nå klimatneutralitet till 2050.

Syftet är att förhindra koldioxidläckage genom att införa ett koldioxidpris på importerade varor från länder med mindre strikta klimatregler. Det ska skapa rättvis konkurrens och driva på globalt hållbar produktion.
 

Problematik:
Om endast råmaterial som stål omfattas av CBAM, kan det skapa handelsstörningar – företag kan importera färdigmonterade produkter istället för råmaterial för att undvika koldioxidkostnaden.
 

Lösning för byggbeslag (building hardware):
ARGE Överväger att föreslå att lås och beslag ska klassas som s.k. ”nedströmsprodukter”,  alltså produkter som innehåller t.ex. stål och att denna klassning därmed medför att de undantas från CBAM
SEM Group styrelse har beslutat att SEM stöder ARGEs förslag att våra produkter ska vara ”nedströmsprodukter”.
 

Fördelar om lås och beslag blir klassade som nedströmsprodukter:
• Skapar en jämlik spelplan mellan EU-produkter och importerade varor.
• Stärker EU:s klimatmål.
 
Nackdelar om lås och beslag blir klassade som nedströmsprodukter:
• Risk för motåtgärder från t.ex. Kina (importtullar).
• EES- och Schweiziska företag med produktion i tredje land kan förlora kostnadsfördelar.
 
Tidslinje:
• EU:s första utvärdering av nedströmsprodukter avslutades i slutet av 2024.
• ARGE behöver input från medlemmarna för att skicka svar under 2025.

Fördjupning på engelska:
 

EU EMISSION TRADING SYSTEM (ETS)
• ETS requires polluters to pay for their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Launched in 2005, it is among the largest carbon markets globally.
• It helps bring overall EU emissions down and generates revenues for the green transition.
• It covers emissions from the electricity and heat generation, industrial manufacturing and aviation sectors – which account for roughly 40% of total GHG emissions in the EU (since 2024 it has been covering emissions from maritime transport as well).
• Free carbon allowances have been allocated to the sectors but will gradually be phased out as of 2027 and will disappear 2032.
• E.g., steel and aluminum manufacturers shall buy carbon allowances on the carbon market. As the demand for carbon allowances will increase, the price of a ton of carbon will increase too.
• ETS as a stand-alone tool would lead to cost advantages of imported goods (materials) which are produced in countries without a carbon pricing system, which consequently would result in the so-called ‘carbon leakage’.
 

EU CARBON BORDER ADJUSTEMENT MECHANISM (CBAM)
• By confirming that a price has been paid for the embedded carbon emissions generated in the production of certain goods (materials) imported into the EU, CBAM will ensure the carbon price of imports is equivalent to the carbon price of domestic production.
• CBAM will apply in its definitive regime from 2026, while the current transitional phase lasts between 2023 and 2025. This gradual introduction of the CBAM is aligned with the phase-out of the allocation of free allowances under the EU ETS to support the decarbonization of EU industry.
• CBAM will initially apply to the imports of the following goods (materials) and precursors: cement, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity and hydrogen.
• In addition to the goods (materials) stated on the previous slide, so-called ’downstream products’ can be added to the CBAM regime as well.
• Regarding iron, steel, and aluminum, the aim of adding downstream products to CBAM is the protection of iron-, steel-, and aluminum-consuming industries in Europe whose competitiveness could be threatened by lower-priced, higher-carbon-embedded competing imports from countries outside the EEA and Switzerland.
• Applications for adding downstream products to CBAM as e.g., hand tools, fasteners, and cookware have been made already or are planned.

ETS + CBAM: CONSEQUENCES
The dual mechanism of ETS and CBAM, which inherently does not cover final products will have two consequences:
1. Loss of competitiveness for the downstream industries (final products) in EEA and Switzerland against importers from third countries:
a. on the EEA and Swiss marketplace (this can be remedied by adding the respective products as downstream products to CBAM)
b. outside the EEA and Swiss marketplace (no solution available)
2. And, as a possible consequence, relocation of downstream industries to countries outside the EEA and Switzerland to regain competitiveness, and/ or manufacturers outside the EEA and Switzerland taking market share from local manufacturers (both known as carbon leakage; both would result in a loss of jobs in EEA and Switzerland).