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The carbon border mechanism never names carmakers, but the metals it prices supply 5.1% of what automotive buys

Published 2026-08-18Basis Mixed basisEvidence 2 measures · CBAM extension · automotive = 9.5% of steel output
AutomotiveSteelAluminium and metals

Based in part on proposed legislation. Some measures cited here are in force; others are not yet adopted and may change.

CBAM extension
reaches it in 7 measures — names it in none
Automotive
5.1% of inputs
Basic metals (steel & aluminium)
Every figure on this diagram is computed from the measures and the input-output data, and checked before the page is built.

The carbon border mechanism's extension to combined metal products never mentions carmakers. But basic metals — steel and aluminium together in the Eurostat classification — supply 5.1% of everything the automotive sector buys, so a border charge on those products changes automotive input costs without a single measure naming the sector. The measures and the supply link behind this are listed below.

Evidence

What this rests on

2 measures, and 2 figures from Eurostat input-output data. Every one is checked against its source before this page is built.

Requirement · SCP-04Open the measure →

A new 'Combined metal products' category enters CBAM scope, pulling downstream steel- and aluminium-containing manufactured goods into the embedded-emissions declaration and certificate-surrender regime for the first time.

CBAM extensionArt. 1(21); Annex I, point (2) adding the 'Combined metal products' table to Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2023/956Importers and authorised CBAM declarants of downstream steel- and aluminium-containing goodsBusinesses
New — no predecessor
Trigger

importation of goods listed in the new 'Combined metal products' table of Annex I

Obligation

A new 'Combined metal products' category enters CBAM scope, pulling downstream steel- and aluminium-containing manufactured goods into the embedded-emissions declaration and certificate-surrender regime for the first time.

Verbatim

‘[Combined metal products CN code Greenhouse gas 7314 31 00 – Other grill, netting and fencing, of iron or steel wire, welded at the intersection, plated or coated with zinc Carbon dioxide 7314 41 00 – Grill, netting and fencing, of iron or steel wire, not welded at the intersection, plated or coated with zinc Carbon dioxide 7314 49 00 – Grill, netting and fencing, of iron or steel wire, not welded at the intersection (excl. plated or coated with zinc or coated with plastics)

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Requirement · CALC-03Open the measure →

For iron and steel, aluminium and combined metal goods, derive the precursor mass from the content of input goods in the finished product rather than from a directly measured mass.

CBAM extensionArt. 1(22); Annex II, point (2) replacing point 3 of Annex IV of Regulation (EU) 2023/956Operators of installations producing iron and steel, aluminium and combined metal goodsBusinesses
New — no predecessor
Trigger

calculation of embedded emissions for goods in the Iron and Steel, Aluminium or Combined Metal Goods sections of Annex I

Obligation

For iron and steel, aluminium and combined metal goods, derive the precursor mass from the content of input goods in the finished product rather than from a directly measured mass.

Verbatim

However, for goods listed in sections ‘Iron and Steel’, ‘Aluminium’ and ‘Combined Metal Goods’ of Annex I, Mi is a function of the content of goods used as input materials (precursors) in the manufacturing of the good.

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Exposure

Counts are taken across every row in data/cbam.json: auto appears in no row's sectors_named and in seven rows' sectors_reached (SCP-04, SCP-06, CALC-03, CALC-06, CUST-04, GOV-03, CBAMB-SCP-07). SCP-04 and CALC-03 are cited as the category's creation and its calculation rule. The shares are the stored FIGARO figures under code C24, which the exposure file's own note flags as shared between steel and aluminium: C24 at 5.1% of auto suppliers, C29 (vehicles) at 9.5% of steel customers, C25 (fabricated metal products) at 17.8% — all EU view. basis_status is mixed because the cbam register file is read from both the adopted base regulation and the proposed extension.

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Where this came from

CBAM extensionfileAutomotivesectorSteelsectorAluminium and metalssector