EU targets Russian imports with new fertilizer tariffs
Starting July 1, we will likely be completely cut off from unnecessary Russian and Belarusian fertilizers, Deputy Minister of Development and Technology Michał Baranowski announced to journalists in Brussels.
The European Parliament is set to vote on Thursday on a new EU regulation aimed at increasing tariffs on fertilizers imported to the EU from Russia and Belarus. This measure seeks to curb the import of these fertilizers into the Union, which has been rapidly increasing in recent years.
As Baranowski stated, the effort to raise tariffs on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus is a significant achievement of the Polish presidency in the EU. He emphasized the "security dimension" in this context.
The new EU regulation proposes that the increase in tariffs on nitrogen fertilizers will happen gradually over a three-year transitional period. The increased tariffs aim to gradually replace Russia's share in fertilizer imports to the EU with other sources.
Some EU member states have already phased out Russian nitrogen fertilizers without experiencing supply shortages or increases in market prices. Baranowski traveled to Brussels for a meeting of ministers responsible for competitiveness.
Russian fertilizers have been inundating Poland since last year. According to available data highlighted by the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics, the import of these goods from Russia rose by 64% in January and February of this year alone, compared to the same period in 2023.
