Does CBAM apply to all fertilisers?

No -- only nitrogen-based fertilisers under CN headings 2808, 2814, 2834, 3102, 3105 (and selected sub-codes) are in scope. Phosphate-only (3103) and potash-only (3104) fertilisers are out of scope.

Why is ammonia so emissions-heavy?

The Haber-Bosch process consumes natural gas as both feedstock and fuel; producing 1 tonne of ammonia emits ~2 t CO2 in well-run plants and 3+ t CO2 in older coal-based plants (e.g. parts of China).

Do I have to use the EU default values?

No. Defaults are a fallback when verified supplier data is unavailable. From 2026 onward you should request actual emissions data from the producer using the EU CBAM communication template -- this is usually cheaper than using defaults, especially for low-carbon producers.

How is the cost adjusted year-on-year?

Phase-in markups apply: 10% of full certificate cost in 2026, 20% in 2027, 30% in 2028, scaling to 100% by 2034. The full calculator at /calculator applies the correct markup for your chosen year.

What about carbon prices already paid in the origin country?

Article 9 of the CBAM Regulation (EU) 2023/956 lets you deduct verifiable carbon prices paid in the country of origin. AutoCBAM Pro automates this; the free preview ignores it.

Language

Free tool

CN 31052090

Name: CN 31052090 -- Mineral or chemical fertilisers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, w
Brand: AutoCBAM
SKU: 31052090

Mineral or chemical fertilisers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, with a nitrogen content <= 10 % by weight on the dry anhydrous product (excl. those in tablets or similar forms, or in packages with a gross weight of <= 10 kg)

✓ In scope of CBAM Fertilisers

CBAM cost preview

Live ETS price: €78.45/t CO₂. Sample: 1 tonne of CN 31052090 at default factors costs ~€8.24 in CBAM certificates today.

Direct emissions: 0.96 t CO₂/t
Indirect emissions: 0.09 t CO₂/t
CBAM cost (1000 t shipment): €8,237

How is this calculated?

CBAM certificate cost = embedded emissions × ETS price × (1 − free-allocation factor) × phase-in markup.

Phase-in 2026: 10% of full certificate cost. Free allocation assumed 0% in this preview.

Calculate my CBAM cost →

Default embedded emissions

When you cannot collect verified supplier data, the EU lets you use these default values for the Fertilisers sector.

Origin	Direct emissions	Indirect emissions	Total
China	0.96	0.09	1.05
Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.72	0.11	0.82
Moldova	0.74	0.07	0.81
Kazakhstan	0.73	0.08	0.8
Lebanon	0.7	0.1	0.8

t CO₂e per tonne of product. Source: EU Implementing Reg. 2025/2621 Annex IV.

How to comply for this code

Methodology guide -- fertilisers

The fertiliser sector is dominated by ammonia synthesis. Roughly 80% of the embedded emissions in a NPK or urea import trace back to the ammonia feed.

Step 1: identify the ammonia source. Natural-gas-based ammonia (most of Europe, Middle East, Trinidad) emits about 1.6-2.1 t CO2/t NH3. Coal-based ammonia (parts of China, India) emits 3-4 t CO2/t NH3. Renewable / "green" ammonia is approaching zero direct emissions.

Step 2: account for downstream urea / ammonium nitrate steps. Urea synthesis re-fixes some CO2 from the ammonia step (about 0.73 t CO2 per tonne of urea), reducing net emissions. The full calculator handles this; the preview does not.

Step 3: collect verified data. Reg. 2025/2621 requires direct emissions (process + fuel) per tonne of finished fertiliser, plus the ammonia source and any N2O abatement (catalysts in nitric acid plants reduce N2O 10-fold).

Step 4: watch out for blended NPKs. A 20-10-10 NPK is 80% N -> roughly 80% of the CBAM cost falls on the nitrogen fraction. Single-nutrient comparisons are misleading.

Frequently asked questions

Does CBAM apply to all fertilisers?: No -- only nitrogen-based fertilisers under CN headings 2808, 2814, 2834, 3102, 3105 (and selected sub-codes) are in scope. Phosphate-only (3103) and potash-only (3104) fertilisers are out of scope.
Why is ammonia so emissions-heavy?: The Haber-Bosch process consumes natural gas as both feedstock and fuel; producing 1 tonne of ammonia emits ~2 t CO2 in well-run plants and 3+ t CO2 in older coal-based plants (e.g. parts of China).
Do I have to use the EU default values?: No. Defaults are a fallback when verified supplier data is unavailable. From 2026 onward you should request actual emissions data from the producer using the EU CBAM communication template -- this is usually cheaper than using defaults, especially for low-carbon producers.
How is the cost adjusted year-on-year?: Phase-in markups apply: 10% of full certificate cost in 2026, 20% in 2027, 30% in 2028, scaling to 100% by 2034. The full calculator at /calculator applies the correct markup for your chosen year.
What about carbon prices already paid in the origin country?: Article 9 of the CBAM Regulation (EU) 2023/956 lets you deduct verifiable carbon prices paid in the country of origin. AutoCBAM Pro automates this; the free preview ignores it.

Get an emissions cost report for this product

Free PDF with sector defaults, top-3 origin countries and an ETS-linked cost forecast for CN 31052090.

Related codes

Parent heading: 3105

CN 3105 — Mineral or chemical fertilisers containing two or three of the fertilising elements nitrog
CN 31051000 — Mineral or chemical fertilisers of animal or vegetable origin, in tablets or similar forms
CN 31052010 — Mineral or chemical fertilisers containing phosphorus and potassium, with a nitrogen conte
CN 31053000 — Diammonium hydrogenorthophosphate "diammonium phosphate" (excl. that in tablets or similar
CN 31054000 — Ammonium dihydrogenorthophosphate "monoammonium phosphate", whether or not mixed with diam
CN 31055100 — Other mineral or chemical fertilisers containing the two fertilising elements nitrogen and
CN 31055900 — Other mineral or chemical fertilisers containing the two fertilising elements nitrogen and
CN 31059020 — Mineral or chemical fertilisers containing the two fertilising elements nitrogen and potas
CN 31059080 — Mineral or chemical fertilisers containing the two fertilising elements nitrogen and potas

All codes in Fertilisers →

Search any CN code →

Reference data only — confirmed CBAM scope ultimately depends on TARIC declaration and the latest amendments to CBAM Annex I.