Main article: Russian Foreign Trade
2024
Russia ranked second in the supply of mineral fertilizers in the United States
The volume of exports of Russian fertilizers to the United States in 2024 amounted to $1.1 billion, which is 20% less than in 2023. This was announced on February 8, 2025 by the American Statistical Service. Russia retained the status of the second largest supplier, providing 12.3% of American imports. Read more here.
Growth of Russian potash fertilizers supplies abroad by 31% to 13.3 million tonnes
On January 30, 2025, Metals & Mining Intelligence (MMI) reported an increase in fertilizer exports from Russia by 13% to 42 million tons in 2024 compared to 2023.
According to Vedomosti, the largest growth was shown by the supply of potash fertilizers - by 31% to 13.3 million tons. Urea exports increased by 4% to 9.7 million tons, while ammonium nitrate supplies decreased by 5% to 3.4 million tons, and phosphate fertilizers - by 3% to 4.8 million tons.
Deputy Minister of Industry Mikhail Yurin noted that the production of all types of fertilizers in Russia reached a historical record of 63 million tons in 2024.
The head of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers Andrei Guryev reported a 1.6-fold increase in shipments to Asia, to Africa - by 18%, to Latin America - by 20%.
 | Russian fertilizers retain a significant competitive advantage in international markets due to their high quality and attractive prices, "said Maxim Malkov, head of the practice of providing services to companies in the oil and gas sector at Kept. |  |
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Russia is the world's largest exporter of nitrogen fertilizers and one of the leading suppliers of potash and phosphate fertilizers.
Finam analyst Alexei Kalachev noted the advantage of Russian producers in cost due to access to cheap energy, while European companies face difficulties due to high gas and electricity prices.
According to experts, by 2030 the volume of fertilizer production in Russia can reach 80 million tons per year, of which about 90% will be exported. Brazil, China, India and the United States remain the main importers of Russian fertilizers.[1]
Growth in exports of mineral fertilizers to 40 million tons
Exports of mineral fertilizers from Russia reached a historic high of 40 million tons in 2024, with 75% of supplies coming from friendly countries. The head of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers (RAPU) Andrei Guryev, who cited these data on December 18, 2024, stressed that this indicator is an absolute record for the industry.
| | Speaking of exports, this is an absolute record - 40 million tons of mineral fertilizers were delivered to different countries, - added the head of the association. | |
The largest growth in the supply of Russian mineral fertilizers was recorded in countries Asia where export volumes increased by 60%. Exports to African countries grew by 18%, and supplies to states Latin America increased by about 20%.
In the global mineral fertilizer market, Russian producers successfully compete with leading companies from Canada, the USA, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and China. The expansion of the geography of supplies and the increase in export volumes indicates the high competitiveness of Russian products.
The achievement of record export indicators was made possible by reorienting supplies to new markets and strengthening cooperation with friendly countries. The active growth of supplies in the Asian direction demonstrates the success of the strategy of diversifying export routes.
Russian fertilizer producers were able not only to maintain, but also to significantly increase their presence in key world markets. This is especially important in the context of global competition and the changing structure of international trade.
Friendly countries account for three-quarters of the total export of mineral fertilizers from Russia, which is about 75% of total production. This indicates the formation of sustainable trade ties with partners from developing countries.[2]
Russia delivered a record amount of fertilizers to Poland
In January-September 2024, Poland acquired a record amount of fertilizers from Russia - about 952 thousand tons. This is 140% more compared to the same period in 2023, when 397 thousand tons of these Russian products were purchased. Such data in mid-December 2024 are given in the material Rzeczpospolita.
It is noted that in monetary terms, the volume of fertilizer supplies from Russia to Poland during the three quarters of 2024 reached €318 million, which is also a record value. The growth compared to 2023, when the amount was €143 million, was at the level of 123%. For comparison: in January-September 2024, Poland imported fertilizers from Germany worth just over €200 million, and the total purchase of these products amounted to more than €1.1 billion.
| | Fertilizers from Russia are imported into Poland in increasing quantities, - notes Rzeczpospolita. | |
Agricultural resources market analyst at the Institute for Agricultural and Food Economics Arkadiusz Zalewski says rising imports of mineral fertilizers from countries with lower production costs are driving down product prices in Poland's domestic market. But, on the other hand, this causes an increase in the dependence of agricultural production in Poland on foreign suppliers of fertilizers.
Rzeczpospolita emphasizes that Poland's increasing dependence (and overall European Union) on Russian fertilizers poses a threat to its agricultural sector and food security. Such a situation may reflect "potential geopolitical weaknesses." The agency Bloomberg adds that the European Union is considering the possibility of increasing duties on certain agricultural goods and fertilizers from Russia and. It is claimed that this is Belarus due to the desire to "limit income." Moscow[3]
Growth in fertilizer exports to the EU
In June 2024, European fertilizer producers oppose large imports from Russia. According to Eurostat, about a third of urea imports to the EU come from the Russian Federation, and in 2023 the volume of supplies was almost a record.
The flows are undermining efforts to reopen capacity that has been idled by the energy crisis, according to lobbying group Fertilizers Europe.
2023
Russia doubled the supply of fertilizers to Africa - up to 1.7 million tons
In the period from 2018 to 2023, Russia more than doubled the supply of mineral fertilizers to African countries - from 772 thousand tons to 1.7 million tons. This was announced by the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers (RAPU) in early August 2024.
As noted by the executive director of RAPU Maxim Kuznetsov, in 2023, 59 million tons of mineral fertilizers were produced in Russia. Over 10 years, the volume of production of these products in the country has increased by 50%. Such rapid growth is the result of large-scale investments in the development of the industry, which exceeded 1.8 trillion rubles over 10 years. In 2023, the industry was able to reorient cargo flows in difficult geopolitical conditions and strengthen the status of one of the largest exporters of fertilizers in the world with a share of 18%.
Russian producers are aimed at expanding cooperation with partners from Africa, given the acute task facing the countries of the continent to increase agricultural production. So, in 2023, Uralchem announced its intention to increase the supply of fertilizers to Africa tenfold. At the same time, the director of Fosagro, Mikhail Rybnikov, said that the company intends to double the supply of its products to Africa in the future for three years. According to the results of the first six months of 2024, the Fosagro group increased shipments of fertilizers to African countries by 74%. For five years, Fosagro has increased supplies to Africa almost fivefold - from 118 thousand tons in 2018 to 557 thousand tons in 2023.
In addition to increasing supply volumes, Russian fertilizer producers are constantly expanding their product range. Thus, companies create new brands with a minimal acidifying effect - this is especially true in African countries due to the increased acidity of soils. Brands have been developed with a high rate of dissolution of granules, brands in the form of liquid droplets that maintain the availability of nutrients without water, which is important in an arid climate. There are brands with additional content of calcium, magnesium, sulfur and trace elements - zinc and boron.[4]
India became the leader in the growth of fertilizer imports from Russia
In July 2024, it became known that India came to a leading position in terms of the growth rate of fertilizer imports from Russia. This happened against the background of the introduction of Western sanctions against the Russian economy, which led to a significant change in the geography of exports of Russian mineral fertilizers.
According to Prime, the volume of supplies of Russian fertilizers to India by the end of 2023 almost tripled, reaching 4.3 million tons. The main increase was provided by phosphorus fertilizers, the demand for which is traditionally high in India. The share of Russia in the total volume of Indian fertilizer imports reached 25%, which indicates a significant strengthening of the position of Russian producers in the Indian market.
Fosagro, one of the world's largest producers of phosphorus-containing fertilizers, notes that almost a third of its total exports came from India. In 2023, the supply of Russian fertilizers to this country increased another 1.5 times compared to 2022.
The Indian market is of particular interest to Russian fertilizer producers. Rural India's economy provides work for every second working resident of the country, and the annual volume of fertilizer imports exceeds 22 million tons, half of which are phosphorus.
In the next five years, the annual growth of the Indian fertilizer market will be twice the global average, Fosagro reported in July 2024. The company plans to further develop trade with India. The company intends to expand the range of exported products to include technical phosphates for industry and building materials. Particular attention is paid to the supply of phosphogypsum, the use of which can help reduce costs in road construction in India.
In addition, the Indian side expressed its readiness to support the development of the digital educational platform Pro Agro Lectorium, launched by Fosagro in 2023 for foreign farmers.[5]
Growth in fertilizer exports to India by 1.5 times to 5.4 million tons
In 2023, Russia supplied 5.4 million tons of mineral fertilizers to India, which is 1.5 times more than a year earlier. This is evidenced by data from the Indian Ministry of Trade and Industry, published in February 2024.
According to Vedomosti, citing materials from this ministry, the growth in fertilizer imports from Russia to India in 2022 compared to the previous year was even more serious - 3.2 times in supplies to 3.6 million tons and 5.6 times in monetary terms to $2.7 billion.
Russia's share of total fertilizer imports to India in 2023 increased from 15% to 23.3%. At the same time, China (5.44 million tons; + 62% compared to 2022) became the largest supplier of these products to India in 2023. Russia and China provided half of Indian fertilizer imports for 2023. The top five also included Saudi Arabia (2.5 million tons), Oman (2.2 million) and Canada (1.2 million).
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation told the publication that Russian supplies increased due to the sale of nitrogen fertilizers. At the same time, in monetary terms, exports decreased by 10.3%, to $2.4 billion. This is due to falling product prices and discounts. China, on the contrary, managed to benefit from the increase in fertilizer supplies, earning a total of $2.59 billion (+ 12% to the level of 2022).
Russia in 2023 increased the supply of nitrogen fertilizers to India - 2 times, up to 1.8 million tons, and the supply of potash fertilizers began - 951 thousand tons. At the same time, supplies of mixed fertilizers sank slightly - by 4.2%, to 2.6 million tons. According to experts, Asian markets are promising for exports, since they are most severely deficient in fertilizers, in particular potash. The production of mineral fertilizers in Russia in 2023 tentatively amounted to approximately 60 million tons.[6]
Growth in fertilizer supplies to China by 1.7 times to 3.5 million tons
In 2023, Russia delivered 3.5 million tons of mineral fertilizers to China, which is 1.7 times more than a year earlier. This was announced at the end of January 2024 by the State Customs Administration (GTU) of the PRC.
As Interfax writes with reference to the materials of the department, in money, imports of Russian mineral fertilizers to China in 2023 reached $1.3 billion, an increase of 26% compared to the volume of a year ago. Shipments of potassium chloride (the main type of fertilizer imported by China from Russia) in 2023 amounted to 3 million tons against 1.7 million tons in 2022, and in monetary terms imports increased by a quarter to $1.1 billion.
The news agency notes that the supply of potassium from Belarus to China in 2023 also increased and amounted to almost 3.5 million tons by $1.5 billion (against 1.9 million tons by $0.9 billion in 2022). For comparison: in 2021, 2.25 million tons of chlorocalium from Russia and 1.75 million tons from Belarus were imported to China.
According to the calculations of the State Customs Administration (GTU) of the PRC, imports of Russian complex fertilizers to China in 2023 increased 1.6 times in physical terms (up to 0.4 million tons) and 37% in US dollars (up to $183 thousand).
In November 2023, the Russian government approved quotas for the export of mineral fertilizers from the Russian Federation for the period from December 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024 in the amount of 16.95 million tons. According to the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers, the quota for the export of nitrogen fertilizers (urea, urea-ammonia mixture, ammonium nitrate) will be 9.8 million tons, complex fertilizers - 7.1 million tons. Quotas will not affect exports to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. The government explained that this decision "is aimed at maintaining sufficient volumes of fertilizers in the domestic market." The distribution of volumes between exporters is carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.[7]
2022
Growth in revenue from fertilizer exports by 1.5 times to $19.3 billion
Russia in 2022 increased revenue from the export of fertilizers by 1.5 times - up to $19.3 billion. Such data in mid-March 2023 were published in the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of the Russian Federation.
According to statistics of the department, the volume of fertilizer imports in monetary terms at the end of 2022 increased more than 2 times, to $351.6 million. According to Russian Railways, the physical volume of fertilizer exports in 2022 fell by 23%, to 31 million tons.
The main obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers are not duties, but logistics problems, said Alexey Kalachev, an analyst at FG Finam. He recalls that Russian fertilizers did not fall under direct sanctions: the United States added fertilizers to lists not subject to restrictions, and issued a general license for settlements for them in dollars, and Europe, which did not impose direct restrictions, announced its intention to facilitate the export of Russian fertilizers.
The Financial Times (FT), citing UN data, writes that revenues of Russian fertilizer exporters in January-October 2022 increased by 70% (to $16.7 billion) due to rising prices and despite a 10% drop in sales. Food and fertilizer supplies from Russia were excluded from Western sanctions in order to support food security, the FT notes. Importers included India, Turkey and Vietnam.
| | Clearly, countries like India were the biggest beneficiaries [in terms of fertilizer imports], said Josef Schmidhuber, deputy director of markets and trade at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). | |
From January 1, 2023, duties on the export of fertilizers came into force, which will be valid throughout the year. Analysts believe that under sanctions restrictions from the West, duties can reduce the income of producers, but are unlikely to lead to a further reduction in production and exports.[8]
Exports of Russian fertilizers decreased by 15%
In 2022, Russia supplied 15% less fertilizers abroad than a year earlier, when the export volume was measured at 37.6 million tons. This was announced at the end of December 2022 by the President of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers (RAPU) Andrei Guryev. According to him, export indicators were higher than the values predicted in mid-2022.
| | In the summer, we estimated a 20% reduction in exports. This confirms that Russian manufacturers, starting from June-July [2022 - approx. TAdviser], began to recover from sanctions pressure, find new alternative methods of supply - to leave the Baltic ports for the ports of the Russian Federation, increase supplies to the markets of friendly countries, - said Guryev (his words with reference to the press service of RAPU leads Interfax). | |
India became the leader in increasing purchases of Russian fertilizers in 2022: supplies to this country almost tripled, to 3.6 million tons, mainly due to phosphate fertilizers, he said. Deliveries to the Middle East (primarily to Turkey) increased by 40%, to 0.7 million tons.
At the same time, shipments of Russian phosphate fertilizers to Europe this year decreased by 1.5 times - to 2 million tons, of which half were delivered before the imposition of sanctions. The export of potassium chloride from the Russian Federation to Europe fell by 1.2 million tons - to 0.7 million tons.
According to RBC, the West did not impose direct restrictions on the supply of fertilizers from Russia, but the Russian authorities insist that sanctions against the country led to supply problems. The lifting of restrictions on the export of fertilizers and various agricultural products became part of the grain deal of Moscow, Kyiv, Ankara and the UN. The parties signed the agreement in July, but it is only partially implemented - in relation to the export of Ukrainian grain, Russia has repeatedly stated.[9]
2021: Russia is a key global supplier of fertilizers: nitrogen, phosphate and potassium
For example, in Europe, fertilizers from Russia in 2021 occupied more than 20% of imports.
According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia, at the end of 2021, the export of mineral nitrogen fertilizers from the Russian Federation reached 14.5 million tons ($4.5 billion in monetary terms), the volume of exported potash fertilizers exceeded 11.9 million tons (worth $3.3 billion), mixed fertilizers - more than 11 million tons ($4.7 billion). 20% of Russian supplies are to the European Union and the United States, 7% - to China. The share of Russian fertilizers in supplies for the EU and the United States is 11-12%.
Notes
- ↑ Fertilizer exports from Russia grew by 13% over the year
- ↑ Russia in 2024 will set a record for the export of fertilizers
- ↑ Rzeczpospolita: Russia delivered a record amount of fertilizers to Poland in 2024
- ↑ RAPU told journalists of leading African media about the growth in the supply of Russian fertilizers to the continent
- ↑ India became the leader in the growth of fertilizer imports from the Russian Federation amid sanctions
- ↑ Russia in 2023 increased 1.5 times the export of fertilizers to India
- ↑ In 2023, the Russian Federation increased the supply of fertilizers to the PRC by 1.7 times, mainly due to potassium
- ↑ Russia increased revenue from the export of products and fertilizers in 2022
- ↑ Fertilizer exports from the Russian Federation in 2022 fell by 15%, which is better than summer forecasts
| The site content is translated by machine translation software powered by PROMT. The machine-translated articles are not always perfect and may contain errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. Read original article If you find inaccuracies or errors in the results of machine translation, please write to editor@tadviser.ru. We will make every effort to correct them as soon as possible. |