The European Union wants to suspend import tariffs on various nitrogen fertilizers and their base materials for one year. This suspension will apply to all countries, excluding Russia and Belarus. The goal is to strengthen the EU's agriculture and food sector. The measure is estimated to save €60 million in import duties.
The Commission's proposal follows a commitment made at the Agriculture Council on January 7. There, the European Commission proposed suspending for one year the most-favored-nation (MFN) tariffs on imports of several key nitrogen fertilizers and inputs for their production (ammonia, urea). The suspension will apply to all countries except Russia and Belarus and will be implemented through duty-free tariff quotas.
The measure will reduce costs, ease the EU's dependence on Russia and Belarus and help support a more diverse product range.
By abolishing most-favored-nation tariffs and creating new opportunities through trade agreements, the Commission's main goal is to support competitive EU agri-food and fertilizer sectors, while simultaneously seeking new and reliable suppliers. The proposed measure is carefully tailored to the needs of the EU market through the introduction of a quota system. Standard most-favored-nation duties apply to imports outside these quotas.
This initiative responds to the Commission's commitment to address rising costs for EU farmers and is a key element of the Commission's efforts to tackle high fertilizer costs. In December 2025, the Commission already took EU-level measures targeting fertilizers.