Russian Trade Ministry recommends fertilizer producers to stop exports

© Archyde.com/Sergei Karpukhin
FILE PHOTO. Processed potassium salts from a Uralkali potash mine are loaded at a port in the city of Solikamsk in the Perm region near Russia’s Ural Mountains

MOSCOW, March 4 (Archyde.com) – Russia’s Trade and Industry Ministry said on Friday it recommended the country’s fertilizer producers temporarily halt exports, in a sign that sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine might have a overall impact.

Major international shipping groups, including container lines, this week suspended nearly all cargo shipments to and from Russia to comply with Western sanctions.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” aimed at removing nationalists from the government and demilitarizing its neighbor.

“The ministry has had to recommend Russian producers to temporarily suspend fertilizer export shipments until carriers resume work pace and provide guarantees that fertilizer exports will be fully completed,” the ministry said.

The Russian association of fertilizer producers declined to comment to Archyde.com on the ministry’s proposal.

Russia is one of the largest producers of fertilizers containing potash, phosphate and nitrogen, the main nutrients for crops and soil. It produces more than 50 million tons of these fertilizers a year, 13% of the world total.

Phosagro, Uralchem, Uralkali, Acron and Eurochem are the main players and export to Asia and Brazil.

Russia has been considering measures to retaliate once morest Western sanctions, but has so far not officially announced any major measures.

“Failure in fertilizer shipments might have a direct impact on the national security of several countries and lead to severe food shortages for hundreds of millions of people in the medium term,” the ministry said.

(Report from the Moscow newsroom; edited in Spanish by Javier Leira)