Producer becomes importer: Firtash’s company imports ammonium nitrate from the EU for the first time
25 June 14:54
For the first time, a company owned by sanctioned businessman Dmytro Firtash imported a ready-made fertilizer, ammonium nitrate, from the European Union for direct sale rather than for processing. The batch of 5,000 tons was purchased from the Bulgarian company Agropolychim through one of the Group DF companies.
This was reported by the Infoindustry analytical agency, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
This is the first such case in the company’s history. Prior to that, imports were limited to ammonia and urea for further production of higher value-added products. According to experts, the decision to import was driven by the rapid rise in natural gas prices in Ukraine, which made it unprofitable to produce nitrate locally.
In particular, as of June 23, the exchange price of gas exceeded UAH 30 thousand per cubic meter including VAT. This prevents producers from selling nitrate at the previous market price of UAH 23 thousand per cubic meter. Therefore, Ostchem, which manages Firtash’s fertilizer business, is switching to imports.
At the same time, Ostchem has announced new recommended prices for its products (including VAT and delivery to the consumer), which are valid until June 30:
- ammonium nitrate – 26,000 UAH/t
- urea – 29,000 UAH/t,
- UAN-32 – 24,500 UAH/t.
The company’s press service said that the fertilizer market is currently experiencing severe turbulence. Over the past 10 days, the price of urea in North Africa has risen from $400 to $530 per tonne, one of the sharpest jumps in recent times. The reason for this is the instability in the Middle East and the risk of disruptions in gas and ammonia supplies.
Many European producers, including Agropolychim (Bulgaria), Yara, EuroChem, and SKW Piesteritz, have already stopped selling on the open market. Those that remain, such as LAT Nitrogen, have raised their prices significantly.
The situation is also affected by changes in foreign policy: starting July 1, 2025, the EU will gradually increase duties on imports of Russian and Belarusian fertilizers – up to 100% by 2028. This is another factor shaping the new European market environment.
