On Friday, EU member state ambassadors reached an agreement to impose tariffs on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus, according to an EU source. This decision also extends to certain agricultural products; once the tariffs are implemented, all agricultural imports from Russia will be subject to EU tariffs.
With this agreement, the Polish presidency can move forward with negotiations with the European Parliament, leading to a final decision. EU diplomats are optimistic that a consensus can be achieved during Poland’s presidency of the EU Council within this semester.
Despite enacting 16 sanction packages against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, imports of fertilizers from Russia and Belarus have not only persisted but increased—rising by 52% in the first eight months of 2024, which generated 1.2 billion euros in revenue.
In contrast to sanctions that require unanimous approval from member states, the tariff decision only needed a qualified majority—15 countries representing 65% of the EU population—meaning Hungary was unable to block it.
Poland, along with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, expressed concerns in EU discussions that while fertilizers, particularly those containing phosphorus, potassium, and hydrogen, are vital for European agriculture and crop stability, the EU’s reliance on imports of these products creates supply risks that could jeopardize regional food security.
Consequently, at the end of January, the European Commission proposed the introduction of tariffs on Russian and Belarusian nitrogen fertilizers, as well as on several agricultural goods that previously faced lower tariff rates. These goods represented 15% of Russian agricultural product imports in 2023. (03/14/2025)
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