Carbon pricing is becoming impossible for US and international firms to ignore

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The EU’s carbon pricing regime is already affecting companies far beyond its borders. Through the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), costs tied to embedded emissions are beginning to surface in procurement terms, supplier requirements, and trade contracts even before enforcement begins. For firms that export into the EU or compete with EU-based manufacturers, this is no longer a policy to monitor, but a cost variable to plan for.

In this final part of the series, we focus on what EU carbon pricing means for companies outside Europe, especially those that export to the EU or sit in complex global value chains. We highlight the sectors likely to face direct CBAM obligations as soon as 2026 and outline the steps they need to take now to prepare. We also look at how pressure is building on finished goods manufacturers through customer requirements and procurement practices, even in the absence of formal regulation…