Regulation 2025/1227 - Modification of customs duties applicable to imports of certain goods from or exported from Russia and Belarus - Main contents

Official Journal

of the European Union

EN

L series

2025/1227

20.6.2025

The Union’s imports of urea and nitrogen-based fertilisers from the Russian Federation in 2023 were significant, at 3,6 million tonnes, and increased considerably in 2024 by comparison with 2023. The level of the Union’s imports from the Russian Federation of the agricultural goods covered by this Regulation (the ‘agricultural goods concerned’) is relatively low for most of those goods, but could increase significantly if the current trading conditions persist.

The Union’s imports of the fertilisers covered by this Regulation (the ‘fertilisers concerned’) currently reflect a situation of economic dependence on the Russian Federation. Moreover, the imports of the agricultural goods concerned could create a similar and additional economic dependence on the Russian Federation, which should in the present circumstances be prevented and reduced in order to protect the Union’s market and to safeguard the Union’s food security.

The Union’s erga omnes common customs duties are the most-favoured-nation tariffs currently applied to imports of the agricultural goods concerned and fertilisers concerned (the ‘goods concerned’). Those tariffs vary greatly at present. Depending on the goods concerned, some tariffs are either set at zero or set very low, while other tariffs are so high that no trade takes place.

Continued imports of the goods concerned from the Russian Federation under the current conditions could make the Union vulnerable to coercive actions by the Russian Federation. In particular, a potential increase in imports of the goods concerned from the Russian Federation could disrupt the Union’s market and negatively impact the Union’s producers. It is therefore necessary to take appropriate tariff measures in order to address the Union’s current and potential economic dependence on imports of the goods concerned from the Russian Federation. That should be done by ending the current situation where the goods concerned enter the Union’s market on terms that are as favourable as those applied to goods of other origins that receive most-favoured-nation treatment.

At present, imports of the fertilisers concerned from the Russian Federation are already increasing and could increase further and quickly if additional Russian production is re-oriented towards the Union. Such potential increased imports from the Russian Federation would disrupt the Union’s market for the fertilisers concerned and harm the Union’s producers of nitrogen fertilisers, who are already facing difficulties in competing with imports from the Russian Federation because gas prices in the Union remain high. The long-term survival of the Union’s nitrogen fertiliser industry is of crucial importance for the Union’s food security because the Union’s agricultural sector needs the fertilisers concerned in order to produce food. Addressing the growing dependence on imports of the fertilisers concerned from the Russian Federation and preserving the viability of an autonomous Union nitrogen fertiliser industry is therefore vital to ensuring and maintaining the Union’s food...