Steel importers in Europe now face real financial costs under the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which entered its definitive phase in January 2026. Carbon specialist Jack Laing warned that relying on default emission values can make costs two to four times higher than using verified data. A single ten-thousand-tonne steel shipment from a high-emitting country could attract over one point seven million euros in charges. Importers must submit declarations and surrender certificates by September 30, 2027.