EU's Imports of Russian Fertilizer Reach Record High of $189Mln in March
The European Union has been boosting imports of Russian fertilizers for the third month in a row, purchasing fertilizers worth 174 million euros ($188.8 million) in March, the highest figure since December 2022, an analysis of the European statistical office's data conducted by Sputnik showed on Wednesday.
The bloc imported 125 million euros worth of fertilizers in December 2023, 137 million euros worth in January and 167 million euros worth in February, data showed.
Croatia saw the biggest increase in Russian fertilizer purchases among the EU's member states, boosting its imports 4.8-fold to 1.2 million euros in March, followed by Greece with 4.7-fold increase to 4 million euros and Romania with 2.5-fold rise to 26.1 million euros, data said.
Meanwhile, Poland remains the largest importer of Russian fertilizers for the third month in a row and has procured products worth 36 million euros, data showed. Romania and France have been among top-three fertilizer buyers having imported fertilizers worth 22.5 million euros each, data said.
The imports of Russian grain by the European Union also jumped by 35% in March month-on-month and reached 125,200 tonnes, with Greece and Spain having increased purchases the most, data also said.
In 2023, the EU imported 1.53 million tonnes of Russian grain worth 437.5 million euros, the Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture said.
On March 20, the agriculture ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and the Czech Republic urged the European Commission to ban the import of grain from Russia and Belarus into the European Union, citing the insufficiency of existing sanctions against Moscow.
On March 22, the European Commission proposed higher tariffs on grain products from Russia and Belarus. The European Commission anticipated that, depending on the specific product, grain imports will be levied either 95 euros per tonne or an ad valorem duty of 50%. The tariffs will be high enough to "suppress such imports into the EU in practice," but it will not affect exports to third countries, the European Commission said. – Source: Sputnik –