Sunday16 February 2025
gipoteza.net

The EU imposes tariffs on various agricultural products and fertilizers imported from Russia and Belarus.

The European Commission has approved a proposal to impose tariffs on a range of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, as well as on certain nitrogen fertilizers.
ЕС устанавливает пошлины на определённые сельскохозяйственные товары и удобрения, импортируемые из России и Беларуси.

The European Commission has accepted a proposal to impose tariffs on a range of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, as well as on certain nitrogen fertilizers.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine, citing a press release from the European Commission.

It is noted that the agricultural products affected by the new tariffs account for 15% of agricultural imports from Russia in 2023 that have not yet been subject to increased tariffs. After the decision by the EU Council, all agricultural imports from Russia will be subject to EU tariffs.

"The aim of the proposal is to reduce dependence on imports from Russia and Belarus. Such imports, particularly fertilizers, make the EU vulnerable to potential coercive actions from Russia and thus pose a risk to the EU's food security," the European Commission stated.

Moreover, the tariffs will support the growth of domestic production and the development of the fertilizer manufacturing sector in the EU, which has suffered during the energy crisis. This will also enable diversification of supplies from third countries.

Additionally, it will help ensure stable fertilizer supplies and, most importantly, guarantee that fertilizers remain affordable for EU farmers. The proposal includes mitigating measures in case EU farmers face a significant increase in fertilizer prices.

It is expected that the tariffs will negatively impact the income from Russian exports, affecting Russia's ability to conduct an aggressive war against Ukraine.

At the same time, the transit of all agricultural products and fertilizers from Russia and Belarus to third countries remains unaffected by these measures.

This decision is in line with the EU's commitments to promote global food security, particularly for developing countries. This means that the buying and selling of Russian agricultural products remains unchanged, as does their storage in EU customs warehouses, transportation on EU vessels, or the provision of insurance and financial services.

The European Commission's proposal will now be reviewed by the European Parliament and the EU Council by qualified majority voting, in accordance with the legal basis of the Common Commercial Policy as provided for in Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Recall that back in October 2024, media reported that the European Union is discussing the issue of increasing tariffs on additional agricultural and food products, as well as fertilizers from Russia and Belarus.

Additionally, in May of the same year, the EU Council approved tariffs on grains and oilseeds from Russia and Belarus. These tariffs are sufficiently high to effectively suppress such imports into the EU.