EU plans to restrict ammonia imports from Russia in new sanctions package

The European Union plans to introduce quotas on imports of Russian ammonia as part of its forthcoming 20th sanctions package against Moscow, according to a statement from the European Commission.

The proposed measure would limit the volume of ammonia that can enter the bloc from Russia. Ammonia is a key feedstock for nitrogen fertilizers, and the EU has remained partly reliant on Russian supplies since the start of the war in Ukraine.

The Commission said the quotas would be incorporated into the next round of sanctions, which is also set to tighten restrictions on Russia’s energy exports.

In parallel, Brussels intends to impose a full ban on maritime shipments of Russian crude oil. The measures would expand the EU’s blacklist of vessels involved in transporting Russian oil, adding 43 tankers to the sanctions list. This would bring the total number of banned ships to 640.

The new measures are subject to approval by EU member states.