Cutting Duties on Nitrogen Fertilisers for One Year

EU proposal to lower import duties on certain nitrogen fertilisers

• What it does
  The EU will temporarily suspend customs duties on a list of goods that are used to make nitrogen‑based fertilisers, on some nitrogen fertilisers themselves, and on mixtures that contain nitrogen. The suspension will last one year and will only apply to a set quota of imports. Goods coming from Russia or Belarus are excluded.

• Why it is needed
  In 2024 the EU imported 2 million tonnes of ammonia and 5.9 million tonnes of urea to make fertilisers. Total imports of nitrogen fertilisers and mixtures were 6.7 million tonnes. Prices for these products rose sharply after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and were still 23 % higher in December 2025 than the 2024 average. The EU relies heavily on imports, especially from Russia, and higher duties make fertilisers more expensive for farmers and can hurt food security.

• How it works
  The regulation sets duty‑free quotas for each product code (CN code). The quotas are the 2024 most‑favoured‑nation import volumes, plus an extra 20 % of the 2024 imports from Russia and Belarus. The quotas are:

The Commission and Member States will manage the quotas and monitor the market.

• Financial impact
  The duty suspension will forgo about €59.5 million in customs revenue over the 12‑month period. This equals €44.7 million lost from the EU’s traditional own resources (about 75 % of the total). The loss will be compensated by member‑state contributions based on their gross national income. There is no cost to the EU budget for the regulation itself.

• Legal basis
  The proposal is based on Article 31 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

• Other points
  The measure is temporary, does not increase regulatory burden, and does not affect fundamental rights. It will take effect the day after it is published in the Official Journal and will last one year.