US Remove Antidumping Duties on Russian Urea and Ammonium Nitrate
Zug, Switzerland, 30 December 2016 – EuroChem Group AG (“EuroChem” or the “Group”), a leading global agrochemical company, welcomes the decision of the U.S. Department of Commerce to terminate a 64.93% antidumping duty imposed 30 years ago on shipments of urea from Russia, effective from 20 December 2016. This follows the rescission by the U.S. Department of Commerce of another longstanding antidumping duty of 253.98% on Russian-produced ammonium nitrate on 20 August 2016.
The antidumping duties against fertilizers produced in Russia were first introduced in the late eighties when the opening of the Soviet Union to international trade was perceived as a threat that could flood the US market with under-priced products.
EuroChem, a major producer of nitrogen-based fertilizers including ammonium nitrate and urea has been actively lobbying for the removal of these antidumping duties by the U.S. authorities since the early 2000s and has initiated several antidumping procedures with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission. These efforts resulted in EuroChem securing an individual 0% duty on deliveries of urea in 2008 and a preferential 0% duty on ammonium nitrate in 2014. While the Group operates production assets in several geographies, the presence of antidumping duties against product originating from Russia continued to represent certain risks for the Group, requiring substantial resources to confirm that its prices are fair and are non-dumping during annual antidumping reviews.
Dmitry Strezhnev, EuroChem CEO, commented: “We are pleased with this decision of the U.S. Department of Commerce to revoke these longstanding antidumping duties. This marks the culmination of many years of hard work. I would like to thank our dedicated team of managers, lawyers, accountants and sales personnel who have helped to achieve this critical result, as well as express our appreciation to the team of legal advisors which was instrumental in these efforts.”
Squire Patton Boggs acted as legal advisors to EuroChem.
About EuroChem Group AG
EuroChem is a leading global agrochemical company producing primarily nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, as well as certain organic synthesis products and iron ore. The Group is vertically integrated with activities spanning from mining and hydrocarbons extraction to fertilizer production, logistics, and distribution. EuroChem is currently developing two sizeable potash deposits in Russia with its VolgaKaliy and Usolskiy Potash greenfield projects. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, the Group operates production facilities in Belgium, China, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, and Russia, supporting distribution assets in Europe, the CIS, Asia, and North and South America. EuroChem employs more than 25,000 people globally.
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