26 February 2026

The UK government has reached a critical milestone in the rollout of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) with draft secondary legislation and supporting notices have been published for technical consultation.

For British Marine members, particularly those involved in the importation of raw materials, components, and certain marine equipment, this marks a vital window to ensure the upcoming regulations are practical and effective before they take effect on 1 January 2027.

What is the Technical Consultation?

This consultation is specifically designed to ensure that the secondary legislation (the "fine print" of the law) accurately delivers the policy design already established.

Note: This is not a consultation on the policy itself, but rather a check on the technical execution and legal wording to ensure it works for businesses on the ground.

The government is seeking feedback from:

• Importers and shipping agents.
• Marine manufacturers and trade bodies.
• Tax advisors and professional representatives.

How to Participate?

The consultation period will remain open for six weeks, closing at 11:59 pm on 24 March 2026.

• View the Draft Legislation: Access the documents here
• Review the Policy Summary: For a high-level overview of how CBAM impacts your business, read the Policy Summary here.
• Submit Feedback: Email your responses to cbampolicyteam@hmrc.gov.uk. Use the subject line "CBAM technical consultation response" and ensure you clearly reference the specific parts of the legislation you are commenting on.

Upcoming Livestream Sessions

To help industry stakeholders navigate these changes, UK CBAM policy officials are hosting a series of livestreamed webinars including Q&A sessions. We highly recommend members register for the "Carbon Price Relief" deep dive if your supply chain involves high-carbon goods from overseas.

Session Title	Date	Time (GMT)	Registration
CBAM: Draft secondary legislation overview	3 March 2026	09:00 – 10:30	Sign up here
CBAM: Draft secondary legislation overview	3 March 2026	15:00 – 16:30	Sign up here
CBAM: Carbon Price Relief (CPR) deep dive	5 March 2026	09:00 – 10:30	Sign up here
CBAM: Carbon Price Relief (CPR) deep dive	5 March 2026	15:00 – 16:30	Sign up here

 

Why This Matters for the Marine Sector

As the maritime industry continues its transition toward Net Zero, the UK CBAM will play a pivotal role in levelling the playing field between domestic production and imports.

Ensuring the technical details of this legislation are workable for marine supply chains is essential to avoid unnecessary administrative burdens or unforeseen costs at the border.