Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “Mineral fertilisers account for up to 45% of EU arable farmers input costs, causing them to suffer a cost-price squeeze, as market prices for grains remain low. They are also being put at a competitive disadvantage compared to other producers in the world . This is because European mineral fertiliser manufacturers are protected from international competition by customs duties and import taxes at EU borders. As a result, fertiliser prices in the EU are much higher than those in other regions of the world. Yet EU farmers and their cooperatives sell wheat and other cereals, whether for export or for the European market, at world market prices. This situation creates an imbalance which is reflected in farmers’ income in the EU”.
The anti-dumping duties on ammonium nitrate imports from Russia which have been in place for an unusually long period of 23 years have particularly inflicted a great deal of damage on the competitiveness of EU agricultural exports and on family farm incomes as fertilisers are the number one cost item especially for arable crop farmers. Given the gas price developments since the last revision, such anti-dumping measures are no longer justified.
Copa and Cogeca consequently call on the Commission to eliminate anti-dumping duties on ammonium nitrates imports from Russia and to look at removing all customs duties and taxes on fertiliser imports in the EU.
