Do I need to be an authorised CBAM declarant?
Three questions decide it: what you import, how much of it, and who takes the obligation. Here is the short path through them.
1. Are your goods covered?
CBAM applies to specific goods, identified by customs classification rather than product name: iron and steel (including many downstream steel products), aluminium and aluminium goods, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen.
If your HS codes fall inside those sectors, CBAM is in scope for you. A product that contains steel or aluminium is not automatically covered — the classification of the goods you actually declare at import is what counts.
2. Are you above the threshold?
The obligation is tied to an annual de minimis of 50 tonnes of covered goods imported into the EU per calendar year, measured per importer rather than per shipment. Below it, the declarant requirement does not apply — but you still need to be able to demonstrate your volumes if asked.
Above it, covered goods can only be imported when an authorised CBAM declarant stands behind them.
3. Who carries the obligation?
- You apply yourself. You obtain authorised CBAM declarant status, gather embedded-emissions data from your suppliers, and file the declarations. Full control, and a permanent internal workload.
- You appoint an indirect customs representative that takes on the CBAM responsibility for your imports. No status application on your side.
- You sell on delivered terms and let an EU buyer import — which works only if that buyer is willing and authorised, and it hands them control of your route to market.
What usually decides it
Frequency and data. If you import covered goods regularly, the declarant status is worthwhile eventually. If you import a few times a year, or your suppliers cannot yet produce reliable emissions data, appointing a representative is usually faster and cheaper than building the capability in-house.
Where BRDG fits
BRDG is an authorised CBAM declarant and can act as the CBAM declarant for your imports into Sweden and the European Union — taking on the responsibility and managing the declarations, documentation and reporting connected to your goods.
Read more about our CBAM declarant service →
General information, not legal advice. We confirm your position against your actual goods and volumes.