In a letter sent to the Commission on Tuesday 4 November, a group of seven EU Member States called for the introduction of additional tariffs on certain Russian and Belarusian products: steel and iron, inorganic chemicals and potassium fertilisers. Initiated by Sweden, this letter will be put on the agenda for the meeting of trade ministers on 24 November under ‘other business’. So far, six countries support the initiative: the three Baltic states, Poland, Germany and Finland.
In the letter consulted by Agence Europe, these states underline the dependencies that still exist in these sectors. Iron and steel, for example, were the second largest category of products imported from Russia in 2024, after oil and gas. Yet, according to the authors of the letter, European industry could easily do without this Russian competition, especially since it is subsidised.
As for potassium fertilisers, they are not affected by the previous wave of tariffs on Russian products adopted in June 2025 (see EUROPE 13658/34) and their imports from Russia increased between 2023 and 2024, the signatory countries highlight.
They are therefore asking the European Commission to put a proposal on the table to impose tariffs on these various products from both Russia and Belarus.
Customs duties could be introduced gradually where there are sensitivities, add the authors of the document. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)