Egypt increases its share of EU urea imports to nearly 60%

Egypt has significantly strengthened its position in the European urea market, increasing its share of EU imports from non-EU countries to nearly 60% in January–September 2026. These changes followed the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the gradual increase in tariffs on certain imported fertilizers, which have significantly reshaped supply flows to the European market.

In January–September 2026, Egypt exported 1.58 mln tons of urea to the EU, compared with nearly 2 mln tons during the same period last year. Despite the decline in shipment volumes, Egypt’s market share increased due to a much sharper drop in imports from Russia, which fell from 1.5 mln tons to 185 thsd tons. For comparison, in 2025 the EU purchased nearly 3.3 mln tons of urea from Egypt worth more than €1.3 bln, accounting for 44.3% of total imports of this fertilizer from non-EU countries.

The main European buyers of Egyptian urea in 2026 remain Italy, which imported 476 thsd tons, France — 284 thsd tons, Spain — 210 thsd tons, and Greece — 111 thsd tons. Meanwhile, Algeria has also strengthened its position, accounting for nearly 12% of EU urea imports. As a result, the European nitrogen fertilizer market is gradually shifting toward alternative suppliers from North Africa and other regions.

Particularly significant changes have occurred in the Polish market. During the first nine months of 2026, Poland’s urea imports from non-EU countries declined to 227 thsd tons, compared with 864 thsd tons a year earlier. The main suppliers were Nigeria with 86.3 thsd tons, Egypt with 76.3 thsd tons, and Algeria with 45.9 thsd tons. Meanwhile, imports from Russia dropped from 719 thsd tons to just 18.2 thsd tons.

Egyptian urea is gaining a stronger foothold in the Polish market. While annual shipments from Egypt amounted to only 11.4–23 thsd tons in 2021–2024, they exceeded 133 thsd tons in 2025. Given current trends, Egypt could become Poland’s largest urea supplier among non-EU countries in 2026, although Nigeria remained the leading supplier during the first nine months of the year.

Tags: Egypt, EU, fertilizers, carbamide