Glossary term

authorised CBAM declarant

The actor recognized under CBAM as authorized to make the required declarations for covered imports.

1 official sourcessingle_source

What does authorised CBAM declarant mean?

The authorised CBAM declarant is the entity that holds formal authorization from a national competent authority to submit CBAM declarations on behalf of the importer. Authorization requires meeting financial solvency, judicial record, and establishment criteria set out in the CBAM Regulation. The declarant — not the customs declarant — bears the obligation to surrender CBAM certificates. This distinction matters because many importers use customs agents for import declarations, but only the CBAM-authorized entity can carry the financial CBAM obligation.

Official definitions by source

CBAM

Regulation (EU) 2023/956 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism

a person authorised by a competent authority in accordance with Article 17;

Reference: Article 3, point 17

View official source

Practical application

Importers of CBAM-covered goods (currently iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity, and hydrogen) must either obtain authorization themselves or appoint an authorised CBAM declarant to act on their behalf. Failing to have an authorized declarant in place before the full CBAM obligation begins means goods cannot legally be imported. The application process takes time and involves meeting specific criteria, so companies should not treat authorization as a last-minute step.

Minespider commentary

For Minespider, the authorised CBAM declarant is the compliance actor who ultimately needs reliable embedded-emissions data from upstream suppliers. Helping importers and their declarants obtain, verify, and structure supplier emissions data is a core data challenge that connects CBAM compliance directly to supply chain transparency.

Common confusions

Assuming the customs agent or freight forwarder can automatically act as the CBAM declarant — CBAM authorization is a separate process from customs authorization.
Confusing the CBAM declarant with the importer of record — the authorized declarant takes on the CBAM certificate obligation, but the two roles may be held by different entities.
Assuming CBAM authorization is a one-time step — authorization can be suspended or revoked, and declarants must maintain ongoing compliance with the conditions of authorization.

Related regulations

CBAM