Your declaration depends on data that sits in a factory in Ludhiana.
CBAMWorks collects CBAM emissions data from your non-EU suppliers on WhatsApp, in their own language, with the audit trail a verifier can walk. You get declaration-ready exports in the formats your customs representative already uses.
Pilot cohort open · Free for your suppliers · From €99/month for you
Why now, not January 2027
Three reasons the quiet months are the right ones to start.
Cost
The mark-up compounds every year
Without verified supplier data you report with EU default values plus +10 % in 2026, +20 % in 2027, +30 % from 2028. Supplier data from an EAF-route mill or a secondary-aluminium smelter usually beats the default plus mark-up by a meaningful margin.
Capacity
Verifier calendars fill up
EU-accredited verifiers travel to India, Turkey and Vietnam for first-year site visits. Q2 2027 slots are already being booked. The earlier you have clean data, the easier the booking.
Supplier trust
Build the channel before you need it
Suppliers who first encounter CBAM through a one-off emergency email in June 2027 do not respond. Suppliers who have been using a mobile form in their language since early 2027 do.
Your 2026 → 2027 timeline
1 Jan 2026
Definitive period begins. Embedded emissions on your imports start accruing from day one.
Source
Checked on 2026-10-18 · All numbers come from src/lib/facts.ts
The real bottleneck
Supplier response, not calculation.
The hardest part of CBAM for most EU importers isn't the formula — the engine does that. It's getting a reply from the factory in the first place.
Language
An English spreadsheet goes unanswered
The data lives in a factory office in Ludhiana, Rajkot, Tianjin or Istanbul. CBAMWorks sends the request on WhatsApp in Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati or English — in the channel they actually use.
Format
Factory offices use paper bills, not CSVs
Suppliers photograph the natural-gas, electricity or diesel bill with their phone. The engine reads the numbers; the supplier confirms each one. Nothing counts until confirmed.
Trust
Suppliers won't send data by email
They worry a buyer could forward it to a competitor. CBAMWorks keeps data owned by the supplier; they choose which EU buyers see what, and can revoke access in one click.
The importer workflow
- 01.
Add suppliers and goods
Import a CSV of your current list, or add suppliers one at a time with the 8-digit CN codes you buy from them.
- 02.
Invite in their language
WhatsApp first, email as backup. Approved templates in EN / HI / PA / GU. Automatic reminders on day 3, 7 and 14.
- 03.
Watch the funnel
Invited → Opened → Started → Submitted. Every stage visible per supplier, per CN code.
- 04.
Review each value
Comment on individual lines, request changes, or accept. Every number tied to the bill it came from.
- 05.
See actual vs default
For each product, compare the supplier's calculated value with the default plus this year's mark-up. Estimate until verified.
- 06.
Export and verify
Download the Commission communication template, your declaration data, and a one-page PDF summary per supplier. Book a partner verifier.
From data to declaration
Three exports your team already knows how to use.
For the declaration
Declaration data (Excel/CSV)
Pre-formatted for upload or hand-off to your customs representative. Every row traces to a supplier, an installation and a bill.
For the verifier
Communication template (xlsx)
The Commission's standard operator-to-declarant workbook — one per supplier. The verifier already knows this format.
For the audit file
One-page summary (PDF)
Per supplier: identifier, production route, specific embedded emissions per CN code, default comparison, evidence list.
Full export list and sample files on the verifier workflow page.
Decision tool
Is verification worth it for this supplier?
For every product × supplier combination, the dashboard shows:
- • Default + current year mark-up for the CN × origin.
- • Supplier's calculated actual (unverified until a verifier signs off).
- • Estimated gap × tonnes = estimated CBAM cost difference.
Every row says "estimate" until the actual value is verified. We never label a number verified unless an EU-accredited verifier has issued a positive opinion.
Teams
Built so four teams can share one workspace.
Compliance
Owns the declaration, needs the trail
Role-based access, append-only audit log, every number linked to its evidence. Verifier-ready by default.
Procurement
Owns the supplier relationship
The supplier portal looks like it was built for the supplier's office — because it was. Procurement doesn't have to translate requests manually.
Customs / Zoll
Where in-scope goods actually enter
CN-code aware exports; indirect customs representatives can file as the authorised declarant with clean supplier data.
Sustainability
Translates CBAM to the broader ESG story
The same supplier data that satisfies CBAM also lands in your Scope 3 reporting. Export once, use twice.
Security and sourcing
Built for data your supplier would rather not share by email.
-
Role-based access per tenant
Importer, supplier and verifier each sit in their own tenant with scoped permissions. No cross-tenant data unless explicitly shared.
-
Append-only audit log
Every state change logged with who, when and what. A verifier can walk the full history for any value.
-
TLS 1.3 + AES-256
In transit between browser and API; at rest for databases and object storage.
-
Hosted on AWS eu-central-1
EU-only primary processing. DPA + SCCs with every sub-processor. Full list on the sub-processors page.
By segment
Pages for the specific thing you import.
Steel importers
Flat, long, tube, fastener, forgings. Direct emissions only; sintered-ore precursor exception.
Aluminium importers
Unwrought, extrusions, flat, foil. Direct emissions only; electricity is not added.
Fastener importers (7318)
Two-tier data: fastener plant + wire rod supplier. Ludhiana cluster is the volume play.
Supplier not responding?
The playbook: switch channel to WhatsApp, explain the stakes, set a specific deadline.
Sourcing from India
Ludhiana (fasteners/forgings), Rajkot (castings), language-channel, verifier batching.
Sourcing from China
Large integrated mills vs mid-tier downstream. China-ETS deduction notes.
Sourcing from Turkey
Established measurement; strong EAF share; proximity-driven verifier cost.
Customs representatives
If you file as indirect customs rep, you need the authorised-declarant status and clean data.
Questions importers ask us
Who has to file a CBAM declaration?
The EU importer, or its indirect customs representative, as an authorised CBAM declarant, files the annual declaration in the EU CBAM Registry. CBAMWorks prepares the supplier data; you or your customs representative submit it.
Read the guide →What happens if my supplier doesn't send data?
You use the EU default values, which include a mark-up that rises each year: +10 % for 2026, +20 % for 2027 and +30 % from 2028. A high default plus the mark-up is usually more expensive than real data from an engaged supplier.
Read the guide →Why doesn't electricity count for my steel imports?
For iron, steel and aluminium, only direct emissions count. The one exception is the indirect emissions of sintered-ore precursors, which carry into steel goods. Cement and fertilisers count both direct and indirect emissions.
Read the guide →Do my supplier's numbers need to be verified?
Yes. Actual values must be verified by an EU-accredited verifier before they can be used in a declaration. A physical site visit is required in the first verified year. Verifier registration opened on 1 September 2026; reports can be issued from January 2027.
Read the guide →Am I under the 50-tonne threshold?
The de-minimis threshold is 50 tonnes per importer per calendar year, counted across steel, aluminium, fertilisers and cement together. If you go over it, all of that year's imports are in scope. It does not apply to electricity or hydrogen.
Read the guide →Get your first supplier's data this week.
Pilot cohort open. Free for your suppliers. From €99/month for you.