The EU is helping farmers. Will it suspend tariffs on fertilizers in 2026?

On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed a temporary suspension of EU customs duties on some fertilizers to lower their prices and support farmers. EU Trade Commissioner Marosz Shefczovicz said the measure could come into force “quickly in 2026”.

The agriculture ministers of the EU countries met in Brussels on Wednesday at an extraordinary meeting at the invitation of the European Commission and Minister Maria Panajiotu, representing the Cypriot presidency of the EU Council. One of the topics of conversation was the situation on the fertilizer market.

Matkaczowicz informed at the press conference after the meeting that the European Commission therefore proposes a temporary reduction in EU customs tariffs on some fertilizers.

Prices drastically higher than before the crisis

“Maintaining affordable fertilizer prices is crucial for farmers' incomes and Europe's food security, which requires both diversifying supply sources and strengthening our own production capacity. Although prices have stabilized, fertilizer costs remain around 60% higher than in 2020. (…) We will propose a temporary suspension (…) of customs duties on ammonia, urea and, if necessary, other fertilizers – he said.

This decision may come into force quickly in 2026, he added.

The Commissioner also announced that the European Commission would publish guidelines on new measures that would enable the temporary suspension of the application of the CBAM tax to certain goods, including fertilizers.

According to the World Bank, the fertilizer price index increased by approximately 15 percent in 2025. since the beginning of the year. Forecasts say that prices in 2026 will remain high.

Paris success: CBAM suspended

CBAM is the EU's so-called carbon border tax, which is collected for CO2 emissions from production outside the EU that enters the common market. According to the EC's assumptions, it is to ensure equal conditions of competition on the EU market and avoid the so-called carbon leakage, i.e. moving production from the EU outside the Community.

Before Wednesday's meeting, France and Italy demanded from the European Commission that fertilizers be excluded from the CBAM, at least temporarily, to protect European farmers struggling with their high costs.

French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said after the meeting that the EC had agreed to it.

“Commissioner Shefczowicz's answer was clear: the carbon tax on fertilizers will be suspended retroactively from January 1, 2026. This is great news and relief for our farmers,” she wrote in a post on the X platform.

From Brussels Łukasz Osiński (PAP)

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