Second Wave in Carbon Tax: 180 New Products That Are Covered

SKDM (CBAM)As of 2026, the European Union's mechanism for the implementation of carbon costs to embedded carbon emissions of certain imported products has passed into the final implementation period.

Published by the European Parliament on 10 April 2026 Carbon Regulatory Mechanism at the Border (SKDM – CBAM) The draft report contains elements that will radically change Turkey's export map. This new study, prepared by Mohammed Chahim's rapporteur, only removes the scope of the current legislation from the main raw materials groups and spreads it to the final products and complex supply chains. For one of Europe's most important production partners, such as Turkey, this marks a new period of fiscal and administrative liability, which will begin as of 1 January 2028.

Is SKDM (CBAM) Expanding Coverage? How Will Downstream Products Affect Turkish Exporters?

The current SKDM application covers basic sectors such as iron-steel, aluminum, fertilizer, cement, and hydrogen, while the new draft study proposes adding about 180 new product codes to the list. Described as "downstream goods", this group covers all processes where metal in raw materials is processed into complex products such as nuts, screws, wires, motors, and even white goods. This expansion will directly affect not only Turkey's raw materials exporters, but all industrial cities that make value-added production using these raw materials.

New Era for Automotive and Machinery Industry in Bursa

Bursa, the automotive capital of Turkey, is one of the provinces that will be most deeply affected by this draft. Automotive side industry and machinery manufacturers in the city will have to report emissions for each piece they export to Europe. Vehicle parts and complex metal parts included in the draft are at risk of carbon tax as of 1 January 2028. For producers in Bursa, it will no longer only be the energy consumption in their own factories, but the pursuit of embedded emissions within each kilogram of raw materials they use will be vital.

Effects on the Chemical and Plastic Sector in Istanbul and Kocaeli

The Istanbul and Kocaeli line is the heart of Turkey's chemical exports. The strong proposal for the inclusion of polymers and organic chemicals in the new draft requires a new reporting discipline for industrialists in this region. In addition, Istanbul-based foreign trade firms must review the INCOTERMS delivery patterns to include carbon costs. The emission values of logistics processes and carbon declarations in the customs clearance phase will become part of the day-to-day work for the export professionals of these two cities.

Textile, Packaging and Polymer Sector in Gaziantep

Gaziantep industry is entering the radar of this new legislation, especially through chemicals and plastic polymers used in the packaging, carpeting and textile sectors. Strict measures taken by Europe against the risk of "carbon leakage" require producers in Gaziantep to make their raw materials supply chains more transparent. The ability of SME-level businesses in the city to manage these complex data sets is a critical success criterion in terms of maintaining their competitiveness.

SKDM (CBAM) Process in Iron-steel Sector

Giant iron-steel facilities in the regions of İzmir and Hatay are the core subjects of SKDM in the current situation. However, with the new draft, the sub-sectors using the steel produced by these facilities are also covered by responsibility. Renewable energy equipment manufacturers in Izmir and metal building materials exporters in Hatay must modernize all production lines according to green standards by 2028.

Digital Solution to Data Confusion: EsgGate.com

It is almost impossible for such a comprehensive and technical process to be managed by manual means. At this point EsgGate.com Its platform serves as a real "control tower" for exporters. EsgGate.com offers a digital ecosystem that incorporates all the technical details and computational methodologies requested in the new draft of the European Union.

EsgGate.com The main contributions of its platform to the process are:

Automatic Carbon Footprint Calculation: Using companies' energy consumption data and production outputs, SKDM automatically generates compliant emissions reports.
Digital Product Passport (DPP) Preparation: It records the environmental impacts that occur throughout the life cycle of products, laying the foundation for digital identities that will be demanded in European customs.
Supply Chain Inspection: It verifies data from the raw materials suppliers that firms use and provides transparency across the entire chain.
Legal Compliance and Legislation Tracking: It integrates all newly released updates, such as the Mohammed Chahim report, into the system instantly, allowing companies to always report according to the most up-to-date rules.

The use of digital solutions, such as EsgGate.com, can also be evaluated as part of the Green Transformation Supports offered by the Ministry of Commerce and sustainability advisory incentives. This allows companies to take a step forward in the global market while minimizing the costs of digitization.

Conclusion: A Strategic Transformation Must

This move by the European Union on April 10, 2026 confirms that green trade is no longer an option, but the only way. From the manufacturer of automotive parts in Bursa to the polymer processor in Gaziantep, everyone should consider the emission data to be a commercial parameter as important as the product price. The correct management of INCOTERMS standards, the selection of low-emission raw materials and the digitization of data with professional tools such as EsgGate.com will determine the success of the Turkish exporter in 2028 and beyond. As İnovakademi, we continue to stand by all of our industrialists in this process and prepare them for this new era.

Turkey's industrial power, coupled with digitization and sustainability, will reinforce its leadership in the European market.