Hungary is pushing for the European Union to suspend tariffs and additional levies on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus, as a war between the US, Israel and Iran threatens to raise global food prices.
Politico writes about this.
In a letter to the European Commission on March 16, Hungarian Agriculture Minister István Nagy warned that rising global fertilizer prices and supply uncertainties risk hurting EU farmers and driving up food prices.
He called for a temporary reduction to zero of tariffs on Russian and Belarusian goods, and warned that Hungary could face lower yields if access to cheaper imports remains limited. The country produces only nitrogen fertilizers domestically and relies on foreign supplies of phosphorus and potash.
The EU has raised tariffs on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus in 2025 after imports surged following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The increase has raised concerns that Russia is using sanctioned gas to make fertilizers and export them instead of selling them. Russian supplies to the EU were worth around €2 billion last year, but volumes fell sharply in early 2026 as the new tariffs began to take effect.
Fertilizers are rising in price because Iran is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, reducing supplies of fuel and raw materials needed to produce them. Budapest is also pushing for the EU to ease its ban on Russian gas imports to ease price pressure — an idea Brussels has firmly rejected.
War in the Middle East
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials. A new ayatollah was elected on March 8, and he was Mojtaba Khamenei (the son of the deceased Ali Khamenei).
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, has begun shelling US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE and firing missiles at Israel. Some Iranian drones and missiles have hit infrastructure and residential areas in Arab countries.
The conflict has brought tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, to a near standstill. About a fifth of the world’s oil exports pass through it — tens of millions of barrels a day. Oil, gas, and precious metals have skyrocketed in price.
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