October 28, Pozirk. The Polish Ministry of Economic Development “took a diplomatic action” with the European Commission regarding the introduction of a 30-percent customs duty on fertilizers imported from Belarus and Russia, money.pl reported.
Poland’s imports of fertilizers from Belarus soared from 13,400 tons in the first seven months of 2023 to 185,500 tons in the same period this year, the report said, citing official statistics.
The net loss of the Polish Grupa Azoty fertilizer producer amounted to 748 million zlotys (about $187 million) in the first half of 2024, it noted.
Belarus and Russia capitalize on lower natural gas costs to produce fertilizers, which are not subjected to any import duties due to the European Union’s emissions cap-and-trade system.
The rise in imports from Russia and Belarus increases the EU dependence on imported fertilizers, negatively affecting the bloc’s food security, according to Grupa Azoty. The two countries may have deliberately expanded production and sold fertilizers at below market prices to weaken their EU competitors, it noted.
Despite Western sanctions, Belarus ranked as the third-largest supplier of nitrogen fertilizers to Poland in the first half of 2024.
