BRUSSELS, May 22. /TASS/. Members of the European Parliament have approved the European Commission's proposal to increase tariffs on fertilizers and certain Russian and Belarusian agricultural goods, according to a press release on the website of the European Parliament.
The vote on the document took place at a mini-session of the European Parliament in Brussels.
"The text also provides for a 6.5% tariff on fertilizers imported from Russia and Belarus, plus duties of between 40 and 45 euros per ton for the 2025-2026 period. These tariffs will rise to 430 euros per ton by 2028," the press release says.
As the European Parliament explains, the products that will be affected by the new tariffs include sugar, vinegar, flour and animal feed.
At the end of January, the European Commission approved a proposal to impose tariffs on a number of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, as well as on some nitrogen fertilizers. Once this decision comes into force, all agricultural imports from Russia will be subject to EU tariffs. However, the European Commission stressed that the EU duties on agricultural products and fertilizers from Russia will not affect Russian exports to third countries through the territory of the community. The European Commission claims that the goal of this decision is to reduce dependence on imports from Russia and Belarus. In addition, according to the European Commission, tariffs will support the growth of domestic production and the EU fertilizer industry, which suffered during the energy crisis.