Environmental protection will become significantly more important for EU imports in 2026. Two terms are increasingly appearing: CBAM and EUDR.
CBAM is the European CO₂ border adjustment mechanism. The main products affected include steel, aluminum, cement, and fertilizer. The EU aims to prevent such products from being imported at lower prices simply because they were produced in countries with lower environmental standards.
For importers, this means: They must have a better understanding of how much CO₂ was emitted during the production of their goods. This information usually comes from the producer abroad.
The EUDR pertains to forest protection. The abbreviation stands for European Union Deforestation Regulation, which is the EU regulation against deforestation.
What it means is straightforward: Anyone importing products such as coffee, cocoa, wood, soy, palm oil, beef, leather, furniture, or tires into the EU must be able to show where the goods come from and that no forest was cleared for their production after December 31, 2020.
An example: Coffee must not come from a plantation where forest was cleared. The same applies to cocoa, soy, palm oil, and rubber. For furniture, the source of the wood must be traceable. For leather and beef, it must be clear where the animals were raised.
For freight forwarders, the issue will become important as more data and documentation will be required in the future. We can transport documents and support customs declarations. However, information regarding production and origin must come from the importer and their suppliers.