Korea Federation of SMEs Holds 'EU-CBAM Joint Government Briefing for SMEs'

Supporting On-Site Responses by Sharing Best Practices
in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculation

The Korea Federation of SMEs announced on June 18 that it held the 'EU-CBAM Joint Government Briefing for SMEs' at its Yeouido headquarters, targeting employees of small and medium-sized enterprises exporting to the EU, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other government departments and related organizations.

This briefing was organized to support responses to the EU-CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), which will be fully implemented for six items?steel, aluminum, fertilizer, cement, hydrogen, and electricity?starting in January 2026. The agenda included: an overview of CBAM and the EU's omnibus package; data management for greenhouse gas emissions for small and medium-sized enterprises; methods for utilizing greenhouse gas checklists and certification manuals; exemplary cases of CBAM consulting; and information on CBAM support programs by institution.

In particular, the session on exemplary CBAM consulting cases introduced the response of Cowell, a steel wire manufacturer. The company shared its internal strategies for responding to the EU-CBAM, as well as its methods for tracking and managing carbon emissions and improving processes. Park Sungjae, General Manager of Cowell, who led the presentation, emphasized, "For effective response to the EU-CBAM, it is essential for companies to have a strong commitment to reducing their own emissions, and at the same time, due to the nature of manufacturing supply chains, cooperation between large corporations and SMEs is indispensable."

Lee Jaekeun, Director General for New Trade Strategy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated, "The government will work closely with foreign governments to ensure that carbon trade regulations do not become obstacles to our companies' exports, and we will provide thorough support to help our SMEs build their response capabilities."

Cho Jinhyung, Head of the Cooperative Division at the Korea Federation of SMEs, said, "SMEs, which often lack sufficient manpower and financial resources, face many difficulties in responding to environmental regulations such as the EU-CBAM," adding, "Going forward, the Federation will continue to expand transition finance for SMEs in high-carbon-emitting industries and develop industry-specific support programs for the transition to low-carbon emissions, in cooperation with related organizations."