Hungary asks EU to suspend tariffs on Russian and Belarusian fertilizer

Hungary’s agriculture minister, István Nagy, has asked European commissioners to cut levies on fertilizer imports from Russia and Belarus to zero on a temporary basis. He says higher prices and supply uncertainty are hurting EU farmers and could push up food prices.

Hungary produces only nitrogen fertilizer domestically and imports its phosphorus and potash. The government warned that restricted access to cheaper imports could affect crop yields.

The EU raised duties on Russian and Belarusian fertilizer in 2025. Russian fertilizer shipments to the EU were worth about €2 billion last year, and volumes fell in early 2026 as the higher duties took effect.

Hungary also asked the EU to review restrictions on Russian gas imports to cut input costs. The European Commission rejected that proposal.

Concerns were raised that Russia was redirecting gas exports into fertilizer production to protect its export revenues. Separately, EU Council Regulation 2026/1181 suspends duties on urea and ammonia from countries other than Russia and Belarus until 31 May 2027.

Source: FreshPlaza