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The European Parliament voted Thursday to impose higher tariffs on fertilizers and select agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, aiming to curb the bloc’s reliance on imports from the two countries.
The approved regulation introduces a 50% increase in tariffs on items such as sugar, flour, vinegar and animal feed, regardless of whether they arrive directly or through third countries. Fertilizers will also face steeper duties, beginning with a 6.5% rate and rising gradually to €430 per metric ton by 2028. Transitional duties of €40–€45 per ton will apply during 2025–2026.
The move comes amid ongoing concerns that revenues from fertilizer exports are helping to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. The European Commission, which proposed the measure in January, said the regulation is designed to limit economic exposure and bolster EU production, especially in the fertilizer sector, where cheaper Russian imports have undercut local producers.
The new duties are expected to lead to a significant drop in imports from Russia and Belarus, even if shipped indirectly, and to encourage greater diversification of the EU's agricultural supply chains.
Lawmakers passed the measure with 411 votes in favor, 100 opposed and 78 abstentions. The regulation also mandates the European Commission to monitor market impacts, including price fluctuations and potential effects on EU farmers, and to act if necessary.
"This regulation sends a strong message that the EU will not continue financing Russia’s aggression through trade," said Inese Vaidere, a Latvian member of the European People’s Party and Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Russia. "It gives our farmers time to adapt, while supporting domestic fertilizer production."
Before the regulation takes effect, it must receive final approval from the Council of the European Union and be published in the EU’s Official Journal. For most agricultural products listed, the new tariffs will apply four weeks after that publication.
In recent years, EU imports of nitrogen-based fertilizers from Russia surged, creating what the Commission described as a situation of economic dependency. Officials have warned this could pose risks to food security and make the bloc vulnerable to political leverage from Moscow.
*With information from European Parliament News.
