In July, the EU will introduce duties of up to 100% on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus

The European Parliament has supported a significant increase in tariffs on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers and some agricultural products.

The new rates should limit the financing of the war against Ukraine and reduce risks to EU food security, writes Reuters.

Thus, from July 1, tariffs on some nitrogen fertilizers will gradually increase – from the current 6.5% to about 100%.

In 2023, more than 70% of fertilizers used in the EU were nitrogen – and a quarter of such fertilizers were imported from Russia. The total value of these supplies is about 1.3 billion euros.

The new tariffs will affect another 15% of agricultural imports from Russia, which were previously not subject to tariffs. These are goods worth 380 million euros. Imports from Belarus in 2023 amounted to 92 million euros in agricultural products and 30 million in fertilizers.

The European Commission explained that imports of fertilizers from Russia pose a risk of political pressure from Moscow and a threat to the stability of the EU agricultural sector. In particular, the EC stated that the tariffs would help support domestic production and allow for the diversification of supplies. As previously reported by USM, the EU may impose sanctions on Russian fertilizers without taking into account the veto of Hungary or Slovakia.