Turkish cement producers warn that EU CBAM default emissions significantly overstate actual emissions
ANKARA, Turkey, March 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Turkish Cement Manufacturers' Association (TURKCIMENTO) issued a statement regarding EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), warning that the current implementation risks functioning as a de facto non-tariff trade barrier for the Turkish cement industry.
"Priority of the Turkish cement sector is the meticulous preparation and verification of emission reports within the scope of CBAM. However, verification problems could turn the gap between actual and default values into a serious financial burden," said Volkan Bozay, CEO of TURKCIMENTO.
"When this difference is calculated based on current EU ETS prices, it increases the carbon cost per ton of clinker from approximately €20 to €80."
CBAM could affect EU consumers
Bozay explained that the sector operates with modern production technologies and actual emission performance below the default values used under CBAM.
"The actual data declared by our members exporting to the EU show that emissions for grey cement clinker are at the level of 0.88 tCO2/ton. In contrast, the default value used for Türkiye under EU legislation is 1.551 tCO2/ton. This difference leads to additional costs that don't reflect actual emission performance."
He emphasized that such differences could have wider economic implications: "In its current form, CBAM could raise costs and increase prices for EU consumers. Activating verification capacity on time and revising default values realistically is therefore critical."
Bozay also drew attention to technical issues that need to be clarified: "Our sector is focused on increasing the use of renewable electricity. However, due to technical constraints, producers often need to install renewable energy capacity at locations different from their production sites. CBAM requires clear rules allowing these investments and declared production data to be recognized in indirect emission calculations."
TURKCIMENTO Shares Proposed Solutions
Bozay outlined the solutions proposed by TURKCIMENTO:
"To prevent CBAM from becoming a de facto trade barrier, national values based on EU-aligned MRV data should be used. Until the verification infrastructure becomes fully operational, actual emission data should be taken as the basis and disproportionate financial burdens should be avoided.
It is also crucial to clarify the secondary regulations and technical aspects of the EU legislation related to accreditation processes asap, including the final list of organizations accredited."
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e70d1400-8d7e-420a-b9ea-5341a8ceb1a3
Contact: Ceren Alkan Yilmaz cerena@turkcimento.org.tr
