What are the penalties for non-compliance with CBAM?

Non-compliance with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) can lead to significant financial and operational consequences for companies importing goods into the EU. Because CBAM is designed to ensure accurate reporting of embedded emissions and fair carbon pricing, the European Commission enforces strict penalties for companies that fail to meet their obligations.

Failure to submit correct emissions data, omissions in reporting, or delays in filing required information can result in substantial financial penalties. Companies that do not purchase or surrender the appropriate number of CBAM certificates may incur additional charges, which can accumulate quickly depending on the scale of imports. These penalties are intended to discourage inaccurate reporting and ensure compliance with carbon pricing rules.

Beyond financial sanctions, non-compliant companies may face trading restrictions, including limitations on their ability to import CBAM-covered goods into the EU. Persistent or severe violations can trigger enhanced regulatory scrutiny, audits, or investigations by EU authorities. Such situations not only disrupt business operations but can also damage a company’s reputation with customers, partners, and regulators.

How Sustamize helps prevent CBAM compliance risks

Sustamize provides companies with the tools and carbon data needed to avoid penalties and maintain full CBAM compliance. With verified CO₂e datasets, automated emissions calculation tools, and structured workflows for supplier data collection, sustamize ensures:

• accurate and consistent emissions reporting,
• reliable calculation of embedded emissions for CBAM declarations,
• simplified certificate planning and documentation,
• a transparent audit trail for regulatory review.

By supporting both data accuracy and process efficiency, sustamize helps businesses minimize compliance risks and maintain uninterrupted access to the EU market.

Want to avoid CBAM penalties and ensure full compliance?

Contact our team or request access to sustamize’s carbon data and tools to build a reliable, audit-ready CBAM reporting process.