Assofermet pushes EU for transitional exemptions from CBAM
The Italian metal traders Association Assofermet is calling on the European Commission to review the current CBAM system, warning that this mechanism could lead to serious disruptions to the EU industry.
In a letter addressed to Stefan Sedjourné, Vice President of the European Commission for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, and Maros Sefcovic, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, the association calls for transitional measures. These proposals have already been sent to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT). Such measures are necessary to ensure the fair and effective implementation of CBAM and to "avoid serious consequences for the EU economy," Assofermet said in a note reviewed by Callanish.
Assofermet, in particular, requests that all imported steel that has passed customs clearance be temporarily exempted from the purchase of CBAM certificates from January 1, 2026, until five months after the publication of the final benchmarks and default cost parameters.
The Association highlights the situation of uncertainty currently affecting the trade, distribution and primary steel processing sectors"due to the lack of final parameters for calculating CBAM costs (benchmarks and default values), which are likely to be published only in the first quarter of 2026. This lack of information does not allow operators to estimate the actual cost of supplies in 2026, as the relevant CBAM charges will not be known until February 2027," Assofermet continues.
The association also argues that the lack of clarity creates instability in the market, forcing companies to operate in the dark, which can have serious economic consequences for the entire European supply chain of steel, aluminum and manufacturing products.
Assofermet confirms its readiness to cooperate with European and national institutions so that the transition to new regulatory mechanisms is effective, gradual and meets the needs of the European production system.
European importers of rolled steel and semi-finished steel products are awaiting clarification on the CBAM parameters outlined in a leaked European Commission document that was distributed to the market last week. Sources report that with the existing calculation criteria, it is still difficult to determine the actual cost of imports, especially since the figures currently available are the default values. If importers can demonstrate the actual values, they should be applied, one of the sources notes.
According to the estimates of another participant