---
title: "EU Carbon Border Tax Becomes Critical for Ukraine: Government Urged to Postpone CBAM"
description: "Ukrainian businesses have urged the government to secure a postponement of the European CBAM carbon tax due to force majeure circumstances caused by the war."
date: 2026-10-05T06:04:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/eu-carbon-tax-and-cbam-for-ukraine
tags: [cbam, eu, ukraine-economy, metallurgy, war-impact]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# EU Carbon Border Tax Becomes Critical for Ukraine: Government Urged to Postpone CBAM

![Industrial factory pipes and metallurgical plant in Ukraine amid debates over the EU carbon border tax](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/05/uglerodnaya-poshlina-es-i-svam-dlya-ukrainy/uglerodnaya-poshlina-es-i-svam-dlya-ukrainy-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The Federation of Employers of Ukraine demands a deferral of the CBAM mechanism due to force majeure.
- Losses for Ukrainian metallurgy could exceed $1 billion annually.
- Overstated default emission values for Ukrainian enterprises must be reviewed.

The European Union's introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) places immense pressure on Ukraine's economy amid the ongoing full-scale war. Business representatives and experts insist on the urgent need to conduct productive negotiations with the European Commission to secure a deferral on this fee. Large-scale combat destruction and the critical situation in the energy system deprive domestic enterprises of the opportunity to comply with stringent European environmental standards.

### Business Arguments Regarding Force Majeure Circumstances

 Ruslan Illichov, General Director of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, stated during the United by Mining conference that there are all legal and factual grounds to recognize the current situation as force majeure. According to him, Ukrainian industry—specifically metallurgical plants, cement factories, and the mining sector—is physically unable to implement large-scale ecological modernization projects due to permanent shelling and resource shortages. The introduction of the carbon duty since January 1 of this year deals a crushing blow to the country's export potential.### Contradictory Data

There are ongoing discussions regarding the scale and timing of potential losses for the Ukrainian economy. While analytical centers such as GMK Center point to CBAM regulation provisions allowing exemptions in cases of massive infrastructure destruction, some European and domestic experts doubt Brussels' readiness to grant major preferences without strict reciprocal commitments to decarbonization in the post-crisis period. Management of large plants like ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih warns that under a worst-case scenario, total financial losses for domestic metallurgy could exceed $1 billion annually.

### Need to Revise Default Emission Values

 In addition to demanding a deferral of the tax itself, the Ukrainian side insists on reviewing the calculated default values for greenhouse gas emissions, which Brussels applies automatically in the absence of verified actual data. The default indicators are overstated for Ukrainian plants, further impairing their competitiveness on the European market. The country's government must intensify diplomatic dialogue with the European Commission to protect the interests of key exporters.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Углеродная пошлина ЕС стала критической для Украины: правительство призвали отсрочить СВАМ](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/vugletseve-mito-es-stalo-kritichnim-ukrayini-1791138561.html) - Официальные комментарии Руслана Ильичева о необходимости отсрочки СВАМ из-за форс-мажора.
- [Европейская пошлина CBAM вытесняет украинскую металлургическую продукцию с рынка ЕС](https://www.obozrevatel.com/ekonomika-glavnaya/evropejskaya-poshlina-cbam-vyitesnyaet-ukrainskuyu-metallurgicheskuyu-produktsiyu-s-ryinka-es.htm) - Данные о вытеснении украинской продукции и рисках для металлургов.
- [В ЕС начала действовать "углеродная пошлина"](https://delo.ua/ru/news/v-es-nacala-deistvovat-uglerodnaya-poslina-457658/) - Сроки введения углеродного налога с 1 января.
- [Война в Украине - это форс-мажор, страна имеет полное право на отсрочку экологической пошлины ...](https://www.unian.net/society/voyna-v-ukraine-eto-fors-mazhor-strana-imeet-polnoe-pravo-na-otsrochku-ekologicheskoy-poshliny-svam-s-amp-p-global-13082598.html) - Анализ позиций международных агентств и S&P Global о правомерности отсрочки.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why is Ukraine demanding a postponement of the CBAM carbon duty?
**A:** Due to force majeure circumstances and massive destruction caused by the full-scale war, enterprises cannot meet strict EU environmental requirements.

### Q: What are the potential losses for Ukrainian metallurgists?
**A:** According to ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, under an unfavorable scenario, total losses could exceed $1 billion per year.