Tariffs suspended from late November

The UK government has confirmed it will suspend import tariffs on fertiliser, kerosene and a range of food products as part of a cost-of-living package announced by the Chancellor on 26 October and confirmed in the government's published response, which farming outlets reported on 30 October. The suspensions will take effect on 26 November 2026.

Fertiliser tariffs will be suspended until 31 December 2027, while most other suspensions in the package run until 31 December 2028. Imports from Russia and Belarus are excluded from the suspensions.

What farmers will actually save

Farming press reports put the fertiliser tariffs being removed at between 2% and 6.5%, depending on the product, and the kerosene tariff cut at 4%. The government's stated aim is to give importers more scope to source fertiliser from countries currently facing tariffs, increasing competition and easing import costs.

Defra Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said the government was taking decisive action to help ease rising input costs and give farming businesses more room to breathe. Recent AHDB figures cited in the farming press put UK-produced ammonium nitrate at around £485 per tonne, imported ammonium nitrate at around £490, and granular urea at around £480.

A caution from the farming unions

The National Farmers' Union has warned that any benefit at farm level will depend on whether the products covered are the ones UK farmers actually use, and whether savings are passed through the supply chain.

Farmers should also note a separate change on the horizon: the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is due to come into force on 1 January 2027 and will apply a carbon charge to imports including fertiliser, so the tariff suspension and the carbon charge will interact. The government estimates the wider tariff package could reduce consumer costs by around £245 million to £595 million a year, a forecast, not a guaranteed saving.

Sources: GOV.UK