European Union opened anti-dumping investigation into Russian urea fertilizer imports

The European Union has initiated an anti-dumping investigation into imports of urea fertilizer from Russia following complaints from European producers that Russian shipments are undercutting market prices.

Industry group Fertilizers Europe argued that Russian exporters benefit from artificially low, state-controlled natural gas prices, a key input in urea production. This pricing advantage, the group claims, enables Russian producers to outcompete EU rivals, according to the official notice launching the probe.

Russia remains a major urea supplier to the EU, particularly after the loss of Russian natural gas deliveries forced many European fertilizer plants to scale back or shut down. The bloc’s reliance on Russian imports has raised concerns that Moscow could manipulate supply, either by raising prices or flooding the market with excess product, putting additional pressure on European farmers.

The investigation will review imports between July 2024 and June 2025. If evidence of dumping is confirmed, the EU could impose tariffs on Russian fertilizer shipments.

Source: Bloomberg