India has spent much of the last year pushing back against the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, but the more useful move is to help write the implementing rules. The key fight is over Article 9 of the CBAM regulation, which decides how much exporters can deduct for carbon prices already paid at home, including under India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme. The European Commission closed a major consultation on this in June, and the exact criteria for what counts as a qualifying domestic carbon price are still being defined. That will determine whether Indian steel, aluminum, and cement exporters get meaningful relief or face the full tariff. The article argues that India should respond to these technical consultations with detailed feedback, not just argue the policy at the WTO. That matters because the Commission publishes stakeholder responses and the details of the implementing rules will be shaped by whoever shows up with specific answers. The CCTS is still a new and evolving system, so India has a real interest in making sure it fits the EU's criteria. For anyone tracking CBAM's impact on Indian exports or the credibility of domestic carbon pricing, this is a useful read.
