France pushes to exempt fertilisers from EU carbon border levy to support farmers

France is seeking support from other EU governments to exempt mineral fertilisers from the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

The CBAM, which came into force on January 1, imposes CO₂ emissions fees on imports of steel, fertilisers, and certain other goods. Its goal is to prevent imported products from gaining a competitive advantage over European producers, who already pay for their carbon emissions under EU climate policies.

In the draft statement circulated to EU governments, France calls on the European Commission to temporarily postpone or suspend the carbon border levy specifically for fertilisers. According to Paris, such a move would ease tensions in the crop farming sector and give businesses time to restore stable fertiliser supply conditions ahead of the 2026 planting season.

France emphasizes that it generally supports the CBAM, but warns that applying it to fertilisers could increase costs for farmers already facing low cereal prices and higher import costs due to tariffs on Russian fertilisers. French authorities note that farmers’ organisations have been raising concerns over fertiliser supply tensions for several weeks.

A French agriculture ministry official said they are optimistic about winning support from other EU governments, though it is not yet clear which countries will back the initiative.

EU agriculture ministers are scheduled to discuss the issue in Brussels amid broader negotiations to persuade member states to endorse a controversial trade deal with the Mercosur bloc, which France has consistently opposed. While exempting fertilisers from CBAM would relieve financial pressure on European farmers, it could also disadvantage EU fertiliser producers whom the levy was designed to protect from cheaper imports from countries with weaker climate regulations.

Tags: EU, France, fertilizers, restrictions, agricultural sector