CBAM default values for CN 7318 fasteners from China, and the 2026 cost per tonne

Updated 2026-11-10 · Data: default values v2 (6 Aug 2026) · benchmarks (6 Feb 2026) · certificate prices to Q3 2026

Under heading 7318 the China default values run from 2.738 to 7.005 tCO₂/t, and stainless and carbon steel use different benchmarks. The table groups all 31 subheadings into 7 rows and gives the 2026 cost per tonne.

Key points

China-origin 7318 has default values of 2.738, 4.555, 5.045 and 6.375; stainless wood and self-tapping screws are 7.005.
Default values carry a mark-up of 10% in 2026, 20% in 2027 and 30% from 2028.
Carbon-steel fasteners deduct the (C) BF/BOF benchmark of 1.364 on the default path, even if the mill uses an EAF; stainless uses (1) 1.154.
The common non-stainless hexagon bolt 7318 15 82 costs about €467.79 per tonne at the Q3 price, or about €0.47 per kg.

1. Look up the subheading, not "7318"

The Commission's default-value table (Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621, corrected by 2026/1740; Commission Excel of 6 Aug 2026) gives China values for 7318 at 6- or 8-digit level. We checked all 43 China rows for 7318 and 7326 line by line against the Excel: no differences. Grouped:

CN code	Product	China default tCO₂/t	2026 incl. 10% mark-up	Benchmark (col. B)	2026 certificates per t	Q1 €75.36	Q2 €75.28	Q3 €82.32	2027 est.*
7318 11 00, 12 90, 13 00, 14 91, 14 99, 19 00, 21 00, 23 00, 24 00, 29 00	Non-stainless coach/wood/self-tapping screws, screw hooks, spring washers, rivets, cotter pins, other threaded/non-threaded articles	2.738	3.012	1.364 (C)	1.6819	€126.75	€126.61	€138.45	€163.80
7318 12 10, 14 10	Stainless wood screws and self-tapping screws	7.005	7.706	1.154 (1)	6.5804	€495.90	€495.37	€541.69	€601.73
7318 15 20, 42, 48, 58, 68, 82, 88, 95	Non-stainless screws and bolts (hexagon, socket, headless, slotted etc.)	6.375	7.013	1.364 (C)	5.6826	€428.24	€427.79	€467.79	€523.08
7318 15 35, 52, 62, 75	Stainless screws and bolts	6.375	7.013	1.154 (1)	5.8874	€443.67	€443.20	€484.65	€539.50
7318 16 40, 60, 92, 99	Non-stainless nuts (incl. blind rivet and self-locking)	5.045	5.550	1.364 (C)	4.2196	€317.99	€317.65	€347.36	€391.70
7318 16 31, 39	Stainless nuts	5.045	5.550	1.154 (1)	4.4244	€333.42	€333.07	€364.21	€408.12
7318 22 00	Plain washers	4.555	5.011	1.364 (C)	3.6806	€277.37	€277.08	€302.99	€343.29

Method: certificates per tonne = default value × (1 + mark-up) − column-B benchmark × CBAM factor (0.975 in 2026) × CSCF (1.0). Cost = certificates × the quarterly certificate price. *The 2027 column uses a 20% mark-up and a 0.950 factor with an assumed price of €82.32, for comparison only; from 2027 the Commission publishes weekly prices. Annex I prints marked-up values to 3 decimals; we use unrounded values, a difference of at most €0.05 per tonne.

2. Worked example: 7318 15 82

Non-stainless hexagon bolts (<800 MPa), made in China, 1 tonne imported in Q3 2026:

Default value 6.375 tCO₂/t, plus 10% → 7.0125
The China row indicates route (C): column-B benchmark 1.364 × 0.975 × CSCF 1.0 = 1.3299
Certificates per tonne: 7.0125 − 1.3299 = 5.6826
× Q3 price €82.32 = €467.79 per tonne

Same method as EFDA's March 2026 example 4 (7318 15 75, price €80): EFDA publishes €471.03, our calculator gives €470.99; the gap is EFDA rounding 7.0125 to 7.013.

3. Two common mistakes

EAF-made carbon-steel bolts still deduct (C) on default values

Commission Guidance No. 4, section 2.2.1.2: when default values are used, the benchmark follows the production route shown in the last column of the default-value table, and the guidance uses 7318 15 as its example. The China rows for carbon-steel 7318 show (C), so the default path deducts 1.364 whatever furnace the mill runs. An EAF supplier only gains on the actual-data path.

Stainless uses (1) 1.154, then (2) 1.116 from 2028

Stainless fastener benchmarks depend on year, not route: (1) 1.154 for 2026–27, (2) 1.116 for 2028–30. With the 30% mark-up and a 0.900 factor in 2028, stainless bolts 7318 15 75 reach 7.2831 certificates per tonne, 1.24× the 2026 figure.

4. Per kilogram and per piece

CBAM works on net mass. €467.79 per tonne for 7318 15 82 is about €0.468 per kg. Per-piece cost = net piece weight (kg) × cost per kg.

5. What can change

Certificate price: quarterly in 2026, Q4 published 4 Jan 2027 – see CBAM certificate price 2026.
Default values: already corrected once (2026/1740). Checked up to 10 Nov 2026.
Factor and mark-up: see free allocation adjustment explained.