Fertiliser import duties worry farmers

6 September, 2000

Import duties currently occupy the minds of many farmers who are concerned at the recent hike in fertiliser prices. It is true that specific anti-dumping duties do apply on imports of ammonium nitrate from Russia, Poland and the Ukraine but these are not the only factors contributing to the current cost.

All fertiliser imports are first subject to a standard duty of 6.5%, whether a specific duty applies or not, and currency fluctuations have a major impact.

Take, for example, a cargo at a typical price of $130/tonne c.i.f. (carriage, insurance and freight).

When the dollar was 1.65 to the pound, this cargo would be 79 (plus packaging, transport and profit).

Recently, at $1.55, the cost was 83.89, today at $1.43 it is 90.91.

Currency changes have influenced the cost by more than 10.00

Just for the record, the specific duties are; Ukraine 32.25, Poland 23.13 to 26.91 and Russia 26.3.

Polish and Ukrainian duties will be reviewed in five months time and Lithuania is still under investigation.

The fertiliser industry continues to trim down. This time its the trade organisation, the FMA, which has to endure cuts.

The budget for the next financial year will reduce significantly with the member organisations undertaking some of the workload, and the work force of 8 will be cut to 2 executives and 2 support staff.

The home market has now become quiet, with little movement in home produced or imported products.

Now prices have moved up, it seems everyone is taking stock.

For the week, prices have hardly changed, although some granular imported urea is now available around 135.

The PK market, still averaging 112, is also quiet as the nutrient holiday continues.

The grass market is dormant.

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