Cement is heavy and cheap, so it rarely travels far. The EU’s 14.3 Mt of imported cement and clinker in 2025 came mostly from its neighbours: 74 % from Türkiye, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco alone, and a large share of the rest from Ukraine.
| Country | Imports 2025 | Exposure 2026 | per tonne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | 6.1 Mt | €458 m | €75/t |
| Ukraine | 1.9 Mt | €135 m | €71/t |
| Algeria | 1.7 Mt | €106 m | €62/t |
| Egypt | 1.7 Mt | €101 m | €61/t |
| Tunisia | 948 kt | €29.2 m | €31/t |
| United Kingdom | 432 kt | €7.2 m | €17/t |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 363 kt | €11.8 m | €33/t |
| Morocco | 221 kt | €5.7 m | €26/t |
Source: Eurostat Comext (2025); exposure at default values, CBAM Atlas calculation.
Why cement is exposed
Most of cement’s emissions come from chemistry: heating limestone releases CO₂ regardless of the fuel. Clinker, the intermediate product, carries most of it. The benchmark for grey clinker is 0.666 tCO₂e per tonne, while default values for most suppliers are well above 1.3. Indirect emissions from electricity count too.
At default values the sector’s exposure is €904 m in 2026 and €1.97 bn by 2034. Relative to the value of the goods, that is a heavier burden than for steel: a tonne of cement is worth a fraction of a tonne of steel, but carries a comparable CBAM charge.
The fallback problem
Türkiye is the largest supplier, and its default table has no cement values, so the higher “other countries” defaults apply. Read Türkiye’s cement and the ‘other countries’ default.
What could shift
- EU grinding plants importing clinker may favour suppliers with verified, lower-emission clinker.
- Calcined clay and clinker substitutes reduce the clinker share and with it the CBAM charge.
- Exporters with their own carbon price may later claim a deduction. Türkiye’s ETS pilot covers cement.