European buyers increasingly price carbon, deforestation risk and packaging into their purchasing decisions. Suppliers who can document their environmental performance win more EU business. This page summarises the rules that matter most for goods made in the UAE.
EU rules that affect imports
| Rule | What it covers | Timing | What the supplier provides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) | Aluminium, iron and steel, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, electricity | Definitive period from 1 January 2026; certificates for 2026 imports bought from 2027 | Installation-level embedded emissions, ideally verified |
| EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) | Emissions of EU producers; sets the carbon price that CBAM mirrors | In force | Nothing directly; it sets the benchmark price |
| Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) | Palm oil, soya, cocoa, coffee, cattle, rubber, wood and many derived products, including paper packaging | Application postponed; scheduled from the end of 2026 for larger operators | Geolocation of production plots and due-diligence information |
| Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) | All packaging placed on the EU market | Applies generally from August 2026, with later deadlines for some measures | Material, recyclability and labelling data |
| REACH and CLP | Chemical substances, mixtures and substances in articles | In force | Safety data sheets and substance information for registration |
| Sustainability reporting and due diligence (CSRD, CSDDD) | Large EU companies' reporting on emissions and supply chains; scope reduced by the EU's 2025–26 simplification | Phased | Emissions and human-rights data when a customer asks |
| Forced Labour Regulation | Bans products made with forced labour from the EU market | Applies from December 2027 | Evidence of labour practices in the supply chain |
The UAE's climate framework
- UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, the national commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Federal Decree-Law No. 11 of 2024 on reducing the effects of climate change, in force since 2025, which requires entities to measure and report emissions and plan reductions.
- Low-carbon production at scale: aluminium made with solar power, steel made from natural-gas direct reduced iron with carbon capture, and some of the world's largest solar parks supplying the grid.
What UAE exporters should prepare
- Measure emissions per installation using the CBAM methodology, and have them verified by a third party.
- Management system and footprint standards: ISO 14001, ISO 14064 for greenhouse-gas accounting, ISO 14067 for product carbon footprints.
- Environmental Product Declarations (EN 15804) for building products, which many EU tenders now request.
- Safety data sheets and REACH information for chemicals and polymers.
- Geolocation and traceability for any product containing palm oil, soya, rubber, wood or paper.
- Packaging specifications that meet EU recyclability and labelling rules.
How Exportly helps
For every shipment we collect the emissions data, certificates and traceability documents from the producer and pass them to the buyer with the shipping documents, so CBAM, EUDR and packaging reporting has what it needs. We also help UAE factories understand what EU buyers will ask for before the first quote.