The UK government published its list of qualifying carbon pricing schemes (QCPS) under UK CBAM. It rests on the 2026 regulations governing CBAM rate calculation and carbon price relief determination, and is presented as current as of June 19, 2026. HMRC administers it, and the list is published under Open Government Licence v3.0.
UK CBAM itself covers "highly traded, carbon intensive CBAM goods," and is designed so that importers bear a carbon price equivalent to what UK manufacturers face. What can reduce that burden is relief for a carbon price already paid in the country of production — and eligibility for that relief is tied to this list.
The 16 recognised schemes
Asia
Japan GX-ETS / India Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) / China National Emissions Trading System / Korea K-ETS / Singapore Carbon Tax / Taiwan Carbon Fee / Kazakhstan KAZ ETS
Europe
EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) / Swiss CHETS / Montenegro Emissions Trading Scheme / Serbia Carbon Tax
Americas, Oceania, Africa
Canada Federal Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) / Chile Carbon Tax / Australia Safeguard Mechanism / New Zealand NZ ETS / South Africa Carbon Tax
Japan's GX-ETS being on the list is of direct interest to Japanese companies exporting carbon-intensive goods to the UK. We have covered GX-ETS emissions calculation and reporting practice; domestic compliance work now feeds directly into UK-bound carbon costs.
India's CCTS being included also matters in the context of India's CBAM response. For the EU, the path runs through an FTA annexe; for the UK, it runs through scheme recognition.
A scheme can exist and still not deliver relief
Being on the list is not the same as receiving relief. Emissions covered by free allowances are excluded. The guidance cites cases where all emissions are covered by free allowances, or where a scheme provides full relief or rebates — in those cases the effective carbon price approaches zero.
Separate guidance on calculating the effective carbon price is available on GOV.UK. In all cases, liable persons remain responsible for determining eligibility, claiming relief, and meeting record-keeping requirements. The existence of a recognised scheme is not sufficient; a company must be able to show how much of its emissions actually carried a carbon price.
The list is dated and non-exhaustive
The nature of the list deserves attention. It is current as of June 19, 2026, and is explicitly non-exhaustive, excluding schemes that are undetermined or under development.
Further, if changes after June 19, 2026 mean a listed scheme no longer fully meets the criteria, it ceases to be a qualifying carbon pricing scheme. The UK government states it is committed to adding further schemes where they fully meet the criteria, and describes an active role in supporting carbon pricing development internationally.
The list therefore moves with national policy changes. Countries such as Türkiye, which recently published ETS regulations, could be added later; existing schemes could equally fall out of scope.
Implications for sourcing and export planning
For exporters of carbon-intensive goods to the UK, three checks follow.
First, whether your own or your suppliers' country scheme appears on the list. Second, if it does, what share of your emissions is covered by free allowances — the larger that share, the smaller the relief. Third, how to assemble the records needed to claim relief. The responsibility sits with the importing liable person, but the data needed for proof comes from the manufacturing side.
EU CBAM and UK CBAM are separate regimes, and neither the set of recognised schemes nor the operational detail necessarily aligns. Companies exporting to both markets need to track each set of requirements separately.