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EU Committee Approves 50% Tariff Hike on Russian and Belarusian Agricultural Goods
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![Maryna_kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
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The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade has approved a 50% increase in tariffs on certain Russian and Belarusian agricultural products that were previously exempt from other customs duties.
According to the European Parliament’s website on May 15, the measure aims to further reduce the EU’s dependence on these two countries. The new tariffs will apply to products including sugar, vinegar, flour, and animal feed.
The approved draft legislation also introduces a 6.5% tariff on fertilizers imported from Russia and Belarus. Between 2025 and 2026, an additional charge of €40–45 per ton of fertilizers (approximately $44–50) is planned, with tariffs rising to €430 per ton (around $475) by 2028.
EU officials stressed that revenues from the sale of fertilizers from Russia and Belarus directly contribute to financing the war against Ukraine.
“This regulation to gradually increase customs duties for products from Russia and Belarus will help to prevent Russia from using the EU market to finance its war machine. It is not acceptable that three years after Russia launched its full-scale war, the EU is still buying critical products in large volumes; in fact, these imports have significantly increased,” the statement reads.
“The proposal will also boost EU fertiliser production, which has taken a hit from cheap Russian imports, while giving farmers time to adjust.”
The European Parliament will vote on the draft during the upcoming plenary session in Brussels on May 22.
Previously, the European Union blacklisted 189 vessels in Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet ” as part of its latest round of sanctions aimed at choking off Kremlin oil revenues and tightening pressure on Moscow to end its war against Ukraine, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on May 14.
