The news that the European Commission will be carrying out a review on anti-dumping measures on Russian fertiliser imports has been welcomed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.
Titled “notice of initiation to conduct a partial interim review of the anti-dumping measures applicable to imports of ammonium nitrate originating in Russia”, the commission launched the review in response to requests on the grounds of rising costs and changing circumstances since the measures were drawn up.
The request for a review was lodged by eight farmers’ associations: namely the IFA; UPA; NFU; Coop de France; Confagricoltura; AGPB; MTK; and Agricoltori Italiani – representing users from Ireland, Spain, the UK, France, Italy and Finland, according to the commission.
Minister Creed has raised the issue of anti-dumping duties on imports of fertiliser from Russia a number of times at the Council of Agriculture Ministers, most recently in June 2017 in Luxembourg.
Commenting on the review today, he said: “I am acutely aware that fertiliser is a major input cost on farms.
Indeed Eurostat estimates that fertiliser is the third most important expenditure item on EU farms, accounting for €19.2 billion of input costs in 2014.
Continuing, Minister Creed said: “I have raised the question of anti-dumping tariffs on fertiliser imports at council on a number of occasions, because they impose a significant additional cost on Irish farmers.
“While the issue has proven quite intractable, because member states have differing views on the matter, I am pleased that the commission has announced its intention to conduct this review,” the minister said.
The anti-dumping duties on Russian fertiliser imports range from €32.83/t to €47.07/t ammonium nitrate, with Nitrogen being the main nutrient used in Ireland relative to Phosphorus or Potassium, according to the department.