Fertiliser imports into Ireland last month showed signs of recovery after a heavy reduction in January import volumes was seen after the European Commission’s imposition of a carbon tax on fertilisers shipped into the EU.
The latest import figures point to Ireland’s fertiliser stocks being just ahead of the five-year average as fertiliser markets brace for the fallout of disruptions emerging from the Middle East.
Both Ireland and EU fertiliser imports had run at levels significantly ahead of their medium-term average in the months leading up to the imposition of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Applicable on fertilisers imported into the EU since 1 January 2026, the tax is aimed at levelling the carbon playing field for EU producers by adding a levy to the emissions associated with imported supplies.
Imports of all chemical fertilisers were 38% higher in the last three months of 2025 than they had been over the average of the previous five years, while the tonnage of nitrogen fertilisers were more than two-thirds ahead of their medium-term import levels.
Shipments were well down in the first two months of this year after CBAM kicked in, although the total imports over the past five months are still ahead of their five-year average.
There were 359,900t of all fertiliser types imported into Ireland in the past five months, 2.6% higher than the medium-term average of 346,800t.
A total of 235,100t of nitrogen fertilisers have been brought into the country over the same timeframe – 38% higher than the five-year average import figure.
EU imports tighter
The equivalent Commission figures for the EU as a whole indicate that a decrease in imports of all fertilisers of 0.92m tonnes over the last five months relative to average levels for the same timeframe – this is a slide of 8%.
The volumes purchased into the EU ran at half of their usual levels for the first two months of 2026, having ran 20% ahead of their typical volumes in the closing months of last year.
The recent collapse in EU import volumes sparked concerns last month that the EU could be heading towards another 2022-style fertiliser crisis caused by CBAM.
It should be noted that the Commission-curated dashboard from which the figures above are taken are not adjusted for any difference in the blend make-up of the tonnages imported in 2025/2026 compared with the medium-term blend composition.
Also noteworthy is that there are no updated figures available for domestic EU output that could provide insights into whether manufacturers located within the EU have lifted output to fill the gap left by the early 2026 import decline.
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Irish and EU fertiliser imports surged before January CBAM slump
Fertiliser imports into Ireland last month showed signs of recovery after a heavy reduction in January import volumes was seen after the European Commission’s imposition of a carbon tax on fertilisers shipped into the EU.
The latest import figures point to Ireland’s fertiliser stocks being just ahead of the five-year average as fertiliser markets brace for the fallout of disruptions emerging from the Middle East.
Both Ireland and EU fertiliser imports had run at levels significantly ahead of their medium-term average in the months leading up to the imposition of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Applicable on fertilisers imported into the EU since 1 January 2026, the tax is aimed at levelling the carbon playing field for EU producers by adding a levy to the emissions associated with imported supplies.
Imports of all chemical fertilisers were 38% higher in the last three months of 2025 than they had been over the average of the previous five years, while the tonnage of nitrogen fertilisers were more than two-thirds ahead of their medium-term import levels.
Shipments were well down in the first two months of this year after CBAM kicked in, although the total imports over the past five months are still ahead of their five-year average.
There were 359,900t of all fertiliser types imported into Ireland in the past five months, 2.6% higher than the medium-term average of 346,800t.
A total of 235,100t of nitrogen fertilisers have been brought into the country over the same timeframe – 38% higher than the five-year average import figure.
EU imports tighter
The equivalent Commission figures for the EU as a whole indicate that a decrease in imports of all fertilisers of 0.92m tonnes over the last five months relative to average levels for the same timeframe – this is a slide of 8%.
The volumes purchased into the EU ran at half of their usual levels for the first two months of 2026, having ran 20% ahead of their typical volumes in the closing months of last year.
The recent collapse in EU import volumes sparked concerns last month that the EU could be heading towards another 2022-style fertiliser crisis caused by CBAM.
It should be noted that the Commission-curated dashboard from which the figures above are taken are not adjusted for any difference in the blend make-up of the tonnages imported in 2025/2026 compared with the medium-term blend composition.
Also noteworthy is that there are no updated figures available for domestic EU output that could provide insights into whether manufacturers located within the EU have lifted output to fill the gap left by the early 2026 import decline.
Read more
Middle East conflict: fertiliser prices already moving higher
Energy and fertiliser prices spike in wake of attacks on Iran
Irish and EU fertiliser imports surged before January CBAM slump
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