EU sanctions derail Russian fertilisers supply to Africa

On August 29 the European Commission released updated clarifications on the application of sanctions against fertilisers produced or exported from Russia - potassium chloride, as well as complex (NPK) fertilisers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The new EU position makes it almost impossible to supply Russian fertilisers to the global market with EU economic operators, EU infrastructure and EU territory. This decision clearly directly contradicts earlier EU statements about not applying restrictions on trade in agricultural products and fertilisers between Russia and third countries and puts people in developing countries on the verge of starvation.

It is worth recalling that back on April 8, 2022, the EU imposed sectoral sanctions on these types of fertilisers of Russian origin. The purchase, import or transfer of these products to the EU in excess of the quotas set for the EU were banned: the quotas amount to 837.5 thousand tons of potassium chloride and 1,577.8 thousand tons of other types of fertilisers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. It should be noted that initially the bans did not apply to the transit of Russian fertilisers to third countries using the EU infrastructure.