Brussels, 31 October 2026 — Türkiye and Algeria increased their relative shares of the European Union’s cement and clinker imports in the first six months of 2026, while Ukraine and Egypt accounted for smaller proportions of the market. The shift in supplier distribution is occurring as the EU’s definitive Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regime begins to affect the commercial framework for carbon-intensive construction materials.
Statistics published by Cement Europe on 30 October, covering January to June 2026, show Türkiye taking 48.2% of EU cement and clinker import volumes, up from 44.4% in the same period of 2025. Algeria’s share increased from 11.2% to 14.8%.
The gains corresponded to 3.8 percentage points for Türkiye and 3.6 percentage points for Algeria. By contrast, Ukraine’s share fell from 14.2% to 9.9%, while Egypt declined from 10.2% to 6.0%.
The figures point to a redistribution of import market shares among external suppliers supplying the EU. The data alone do not show whether carbon-border costs drove the changes, since shipment availability, production levels and European demand also affect supplier performance.
Mediterranean suppliers expand presence in EU import volumes
Türkiye remained the leading external supplier of cement and clinker to the EU, with its share rising to nearly half of total import volumes. Factors cited include proximity to southern European markets, established production capacity and maritime export infrastructure supporting access to European customers.
Cement and clinker are described as low-value and heavy commodities, with transportation expenses and port access highlighted as significant components of delivered costs. Variations in freight rates, regional construction activity and the availability of exportable production can therefore influence relative competitiveness.
Algeria also expanded its position, reaching 14.8% of EU import volumes. Its Mediterranean location is cited as providing access to southern European destinations, alongside export infrastructure and production costs.
The first-half statistics indicate that production emissions and carbon-related expenses are becoming more relevant for both suppliers’ operating environment. At the same time, the reported market-share gains for Türkiye and Algeria are not shown by the data to be linked specifically to CBAM.
Ukraine and Egypt see reduced shares
Ukraine’s share of EU cement and clinker imports decreased to 9.9%, compared with 14.2% during January–June 2025. The source attributes ongoing exposure in Ukraine’s industrial and export performance to war-related effects including production interruptions, infrastructure damage, transportation constraints and changes in domestic demand.
The factors affecting Ukraine’s industrial output may influence availability and movement of cement and clinker independently of EU carbon-border requirements. As a result, the decline cannot be attributed directly to CBAM without separating carbon-cost effects from other production and logistics conditions.
Egypt’s share fell from 10.2% to 6.0%. Export competitiveness is described as influenced by domestic production economics, fuel expenditure, international freight rates and demand in alternative export destinations.
The source notes that changes in regional trading conditions can affect how Egyptian cargoes are allocated between European and non-European markets. It also states that country-level figures show a change in import composition but do not fully explain performance differences among individual suppliers.
Southeast Europe trade patterns in EU cement flows
Cement Europe data also cover Southeast European positions in EU cement and clinker trade. Bosnia and Herzegovina increased its share of EU imports from 2.8% to 3.3%, a gain of 0.5 percentage points.
The published percentages do not establish whether Bosnia and Herzegovina’s absolute export volumes rose over the period. Separate figures on EU exports of cement and clinker to Western Balkan destinations show additional movements during January–June 2026.
Bosnia and Herzegovina accounted for 8.1% of EU export destinations versus 5.1% in the corresponding period of 2025. Montenegro’s share increased from 2.3% to 2.8%, while North Macedonia rose from 1.3% to 2.2%.
Serbia moved in the opposite direction, with its share declining from 3.2% to 2.9%. The percentages refer to EU exports directed to each country rather than exports originating there that enter the Union.
The source describes these movements as potentially reflecting differences in domestic construction activity, local cement production, distribution arrangements and regional supplier competitiveness within each destination market.
The CBAM framework for cement imports is described as entering into force on 1 January 2026 under the definitive regime covering specified cement and clinker products alongside other carbon-intensive goods.
The stated purpose is to align carbon costs associated with covered imports with those borne by European producers under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). For producers outside the Union, commercial considerations include installation-level production emissions, product classifications, emissions calculation methodologies and applicable carbon-cost adjustments.
The mechanism operates alongside a progressive reduction of free EU ETS allowances, meaning importer exposure cannot be calculated by applying a single embedded-emissions multiplication using the full certificate price without accounting for applicable adjustments.
The latest published CBAM certificate price for the third quarter of 2026 is listed at €82.32 per tonne of CO₂ equivalent.
The source also highlights that importers must distinguish between legally covered eight-digit Combined Nomenclature (CN) classifications and broader customs chapters used in general industry statistics.
Cement Europe reports combined cement and clinker import shares at country level, but those percentages do not provide enough product-level detail to calculate CBAM liability for individual suppliers based solely on those figures.
The document further states that verified emissions data can affect supplier comparisons when producers demonstrate lower actual emissions using independently verified production information rather than default values used for liabilities.
If an installation has higher emissions intensity, it may face greater exposure as CBAM obligations develop; delivered-price effects are described as depending on installation-specific emissions, applicable methodology and how carbon-related expenses are reflected in contracts between suppliers and EU importers.
A more detailed comparison of supplier competitiveness is described as requiring absolute shipment volumes, customs values in euros, implied prices per tonne, freight expenditure, product classifications and verified installation-level emissions data.
The first-half market-share figures establish redistribution in EU cement and clinker imports but do not quantify independently how much CBAM contributed to those changes.