EU introduces new tariffs on agricultural products and fertilizers from russia and Belarus – media

The Council of Ministers of the European Union for Justice and Home Affairs, which took place on June 12 in Luxembourg, adopted a decision to introduce new tariffs on imports into the European Union of agricultural products and fertilizers produced in russia and Belarus.

Diplomats participating in the meeting of European ministers informed Ukrinform about this, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

The report states that the EU Council yesterday adopted new tariffs on russian and Belarusian agricultural products and fertilizers, which will come into force on July 1.

“The EU Council adopted regulatory rules introducing new tariffs on the remaining agricultural products and certain fertilizers from Russia and Belarus that were not yet subject to additional customs duties. The aim is to reduce the EU's dependence on such imports, as well as to reduce Russian export earnings in order to limit Russia's ability to continue financing its aggressive war against Ukraine," the European Council said in a statement on its website.

The implementation of this decision will be monitored to ensure protection for European farmers and fertiliser producers.

The tariffs on russian and Belarusian nitrogen fertilisers will be introduced gradually, with a three-year transition period.

According to statistics provided in the statement, in 2023, fertiliser imports from russia accounted for around 25 percent of total imports of these products into the EU, worth EUR 1.28 billion.

The new tariffs will apply to agricultural products that accounted for 15 percent of all agricultural imports from russia to the EU in 2023.

Sugar, vinegar, flour and animal feed are subject to the new tariffs.

A tariff of 6.5% will be introduced on fertilizers imported from russia and Belarus, as well as an additional customs duty of EUR 40-45 per ton for the period 2025-2026.

It is expected that such a customs duty on russian and Belarusian fertilizers will increase to EUR 430 per ton by 2028.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the largest producer of nitrogen fertilizers in Ukraine, Group DF, expects a positive impact on the European and Ukrainian markets from a sharp increase in EU duties on fertilizers from russia and Belarus, which will allow European and Ukrainian producers to regain their shares in these markets.