Despite sanctions, Russia still shipped 10.4 Mt of CBAM goods to the EU in 2025 — 5.2 Mt of iron and steel and 4.9 Mt of fertilisers. In the default-value scenario that is an exposure of €1.24 bn in 2026.
What is still allowed
EU sanctions ban imports of most Russian iron and steel products, but some semi-finished steel has continued to enter under time-limited transitional quotas that are being phased out. Restrictions on Russian aluminium have been added in stages. Fertilisers are not banned, but since July 2025 the EU has applied tariffs on fertilisers from Russia and Belarus that increase over several years.
For the goods that still cross the border, CBAM is an extra layer on top of sanctions and tariffs — not a substitute for them.
How CBAM applies
- Russian goods are treated like any other origin: default values from the Russian table, or verified actual data.
- Russia has no carbon price on industrial emissions, so no deduction is available.
- Verification of actual emissions requires accredited verifiers and, as a rule, site visits — practically difficult for Russian installations.
Fertilisers make up 47 % of the tonnage but less of the exposure, because the fertiliser mark-up is only 1 %. Steel carries €923 m of the 2026 exposure.
Belarus
Belarus is subject to parallel sanctions and the same fertiliser tariffs. Its remaining CBAM flows to the EU are small. See also fertilisers and ammonia.