UK CBAM Prep

The UK carbon border tax is law.
Your 2028 bill depends on what you do now.

From 1 January 2027, importing steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser or hydrogen goods above £50,000 a year triggers registration with HMRC — and your first payment is priced from supplier emissions evidence you must collect during 2027. Miss that window and you permanently overpay. We help small importers get it right, cheaply.

Check my goods — 2 min, free Get the free supplier letter pack

Based on the made regulations (S.I. 2026/802, /809, /830) and HMRC guidance of 16 July 2026. Sources cited throughout.

1 · Are your goods covered?

Type any commodity code from your customs entry or supplier invoice — full 8-digit code or just the first few digits.

Commodity code

2 · Will the £50,000 threshold catch you?

Rough figures are fine. Nothing you type leaves this page.

Covered-goods imports, last 12 months (£) Expected over the next 12 months (£)

The one-way door most importers don't know about

Your first return (due 31 May 2028, covering all of 2027) is priced using either verified supplier emissions data or punishing government default values.
File once on defaults and you can never re-file the cheaper verified number. There is no amendment path.
Verified data has to be requested from overseas mills and collected during 2027 — and suppliers are slow. The firms that asked early pay less. Every quarter of delay compounds.

This single mechanic is why preparation starts in 2026, not 2027. Sources: S.I. 2026/802 reg 10; HMRC registration guidance (16 Jul 2026); Finance Act 2026 Part 5.

Every date that is already law

When	What happens
Autumn 2026	First illustrative rate published — expect press coverage and supplier questions.
1 Jan 2027	Charge and rules live. Evidence year begins; keep records per import (value, code, weight, origin).
During 2027	Collect supplier emissions data — the critical path.
31 Jan 2028	Register with HMRC if you crossed £50k during 2027.
31 May 2028	First return and payment for all 2027 imports.
From Q1 2028	Quarterly rhythm: Q1 due 31 Jul 2028, Q2 due 29 Sep 2028, then standing cycle.

Free: the supplier data-request letter pack

The three emails that actually get overseas suppliers to send emissions numbers — plus the one-page sheet they fill in. Written in plain English for their production office, not for lawyers.

Email contact@ukcbamprep.co.uk with the subject line TEMPLATE and we'll send it straight back. No sign-up forms.

When you're ready for help

£49 — Starter Pack
Supplier request-letter sequence · covered-imports tracker that flags both £50k tests · emissions capture sheet · registration readiness checklist · deadline map. Version-stamped; free updates when final rules publish.

From £199 — Done-With-You Data Chase
We run the chase sequence against your top suppliers for a quarter and hand you back an organised evidence file. You stay in control of every email.

Is this advice?

No. We sell information tools and administrative support. Everything cites its source regulation. For positions specific to your company, speak to your customs agent or a regulated adviser — we'll tell you plainly when a question is beyond us.

Who is behind this?

A tiny UK operation built specifically for the smaller importers the Big-Four-priced consultancies skip. If our tools don't save you money, they've failed and we'd like to hear it.