On Friday 22 May, without debate, the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation allowing the one-year suspension of customs tariffs on the main nitrogen-based fertilisers used in agricultural production within the EU, including urea and ammonia (see EUROPE 13815/25).
This measure, which was one of the promises made to angered farmers, is intended to reduce costs for European farmers and for the fertiliser industry, with savings estimated at around €60 million in import duties, according to the European Commission. The aim of the text is also to reduce the EU’s dependency on Russia and Belarus and to diversify supply chains.
In practice, the suspension will apply only to products that are not already imported duty-free under most-favoured-nation (MFN) tariffs. Moreover, it will be capped at a quota equal to the volume of MFN imports in 2024 plus 20% of the volumes imported from Russia and Belarus in the same year.
The suspension will not apply to fertilisers originating from Russia or Belarus.
The measure will enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and will remain applicable for one year. The European Commission will monitor the market and may propose the extension or the modification of the suspension if necessary.
Despite a portion of imports already being duty-free, a significant share of nitrogen-based fertilisers remains subject to customs duties of between 5.5% and 6.5%. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)