What is the CBAM Regulation –
and who does it affect?
The CBAM Regulation is an EU regulation that regulates imports of CO₂-intensive goods in a similar way to comparable production within the EU. The aim is to avoid distortions of competition while creating transparency about emissions generated.
Regulatory background and affected product groups
The CBAM Regulation is an EU regulation that regulates imports of CO₂-intensive goods in a similar way to comparable production within the EU.
The aim is to avoid distortions of competition while creating transparency about emissions generated.
What does CBAM mean specifically for logistics companies?
CBAM introduces a new core process in the import business: the collection, verification, and documentation of CO₂-related information becomes mandatory and is consistently checked.
Next steps:
What steps companies will have to take in the future
Companies will have to extract CO₂ data from a wide variety of documents, validate it, and transmit it in a structured form to authorities or internal systems. This includes customs tariff numbers, origin data, production and emission figures, and supply chain information.
When document chaos meets compliance
The theoretical requirements of the CBAM Regulation are met in everyday life with confusing document landscapes, changing formats, and time-critical processes. Compliance pressure is mounting.
Why CBAM is almost impossible to manage manually
Paper-based or scanned documents, email attachments, different layouts, and multilingual content make manual extraction slow and error-prone.
At the same time, customs teams must ensure that HS codes are correct, origin information is traceable, and CO₂ values are complete—an effort that is hardly scalable with increasing import volumes.
The process:
How IDP reduces the burden of CBAM.
To comply with CBAM efficiently, companies need a process that automatically analyzes documents, extracts relevant values, and makes them available in a verified form.
Automatic extraction and structuring of CBAM data
An IDP solution such as “Anna” recognizes content from invoices, bills of lading, packing lists, or certificates of origin and extracts CO₂-relevant information such as HS codes, origin data, emission values, and supply chain details. This information is then validated against ERP, TMS, or customs tables and made available as a controlled data set.
From raw document to CBAM-compliant data set
The solution then generates structured, machine-readable reports that can be transferred to government portals, customs software, or internal compliance systems. Integrations with ERP, TMS, and data warehouses create a continuous digital workflow—without manual media breaks.
CBAM automation
in practice
To illustrate how automation is changing the process, it is worth taking a look at typical import scenarios from real life.
Automated extraction of HS codes & CO₂ values
A freight forwarder or importer receives a supply chain with:
- Multilingual commercial invoice
Certificate of origin
Customs accompanying document
CO₂ manufacturer information in a PDF table
Manually, an employee would often need 15–20 minutes to compile all CBAM-relevant information.
With automation:
- Documents are scanned in – whether they are scans, PDFs, or email attachments.
- Anna automatically recognizes HS codes, quantities, CO₂ values, and origin information.
- Comparison against internal commodity tariffs and CO₂ lists.
- Output of a structured CBAM data record.
Time required: a few seconds.
With hundreds of imports every day, this makes a huge difference.
Steel imports with multilingual documents
Documents arrive by email, upload, or scan
ExB automatically recognizes HS codes, origin, CO₂ values
Comparison with ERP / CO₂ key figures
Generation of a structured CBAM data set
Transfer to customs or compliance software
Result:
- Processing in seconds instead of minutes
- Minimal error rate
- Complete and verifiable data basis
Stable processes even with increasing import volumes
Why companies should act now
CBAM is not just a new reporting issue, but a permanent feature of the import business. Companies that automate their document processes early on secure clear advantages:
More efficient processes with growing requirements
Automated data capture and validation reduces manual effort, minimizes errors, and helps companies achieve CBAM compliance faster. At the same time, structured data ensures greater transparency and traceability across the entire supply chain.
Are your document processes CBAM-ready?
Regulatory requirements will increase significantly from 2026 onwards. Companies that are already digitizing their processes will not only be well prepared for the CBAM requirement, but will also benefit early on from efficiency, lower error rates, and stable compliance structures.
How ExB supports
Our virtual assistant Anna is ready to use immediately, requires no training, and can be seamlessly integrated into existing system landscapes. She automates the entire processing of CBAM-relevant documents — quickly, scalably, and verifiably.
We would be happy to show you how companies can automatically extract CBAM data from customs documents and transfer it into secure workflows. Get in touch with us!
- Personalized Analysis of Your Use Case – We review your document processes together and identify automation potential.
- Real-World Insights Instead of a Sales Pitch – Speak with experts who implement AI-powered document processing every day.
- Fast Start Without Complex IT Projects – See how you can benefit from automated document processing in days, not months.
Mon - Fri (9:00 am - 6:00 pm)
Alternatively you can use our contact form.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the CBAM agreement
CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) is an EU instrument that regulates CO₂-intensive imports in a similar way to EU production. From 2026, companies will have to report complete CO₂-related data for defined product groups.
All importers of CBAM-relevant goods, including steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, electricity, hydrogen, and potentially other goods in the future. Freight forwarders who handle customs processes for customers are also indirectly affected.
This includes HS codes, origin information, quantities, CO₂ emissions, production data, and supply chain information. The information must be complete, accurate, and verifiable.
Customs documents come in many formats and contain tables, stamps, handwriting, or multilingual content. Searching, checking, and comparing them takes a lot of time and is prone to errors—especially as import volumes increase.
ExB’s IDP solution automatically extracts CBAM-relevant data from customs documents, validates it against master data, and generates structured reports for compliance and customs systems—without any manual extra work.
Commercial invoices, CMR/waybills, packing lists, declarations of origin, CO₂ certificates, and many other import documents—even if they are handwritten or poorly scanned.
ExB can be used immediately without any setup or training phase. Results are available from day one.
Yes. ExB transfers verified data directly to ERP, TMS, customs, or compliance systems—via API, file storage, or email.
