EU open to lowering tariffs on US fertilisers in trade talks

By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is open to lowering tariffs on U.S. fertiliser imports as an offer in trade talks with the Trump administration, but will not weaken its food safety standards in pursuit of a deal, EU agriculture commissioner Christophe Hansen told Reuters.

"That is definitely an option," Hansen said, of reducing U.S. fertiliser tariffs.

"That will be on the table. And I think that would be a huge way forward, and an offer as well to the U.S.," he said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday, adding that whether that would mean zero tariffs, or a reduction of current rates, would need to be negotiated.

U.S. exports face the EU's standard tariffs of 5.5% on imports of ammonia, and 6.5% on nitrogen fertilisers, as well as an extra 29.48 euro-per-tonne anti-dumping duty on U.S. urea ammonium nitrate (UAN).

UAN comprised around three quarters of EU imports of U.S. fertilisers last year, EU trade data shows.

Reducing tariffs could boost Europe's purchases of U.S. fertiliser, to fill a gap as the EU cuts supplies from Russia. Around 24% of the EU's nitrogen fertiliser imports came from Russia in 2023, while the U.S. accounted for 8%, EU data shows.

"I believe most of the Europeans would prefer buying fertilizers from the U.S. than from Russia," Hansen said.

The EU will hit nitrogen-based fertilisers from Russia with tariffs rising to 100% over three years, a level that would effectively halt annual trade flows currently worth 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion).

Hansen said the EU was also open to discussing increasing its purchases of hormone-free beef from the U.S., and a deal to have zero-for-zero tariffs on EU and U.S. wines.

But he said the bloc would not compromise on its stringent food safety standards as it seeks a deal.

"I don't see room for manoeuvre to roll back our high quality standards. But of course, on other points, on other products, we are very open to negotiations," Hansen said.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; additional reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris, Maytaal Angel in London; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Susan Fenton)