By Leonardo Gottems
This spring, the Portuguese agricultural sector welcomed a new player: Liquiadubos, a domestic company that has inaugurated a factory for NPK-based liquid fertilizers – products containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, essential for the development of irrigated crops.
Located in the village of Ferreira do Alentejo, which lies in the southern agricultural municipality of Beja, the company aims not only to bolster the supply of inputs for crops such as olive and almond groves, but also to lead through innovation and environmental sustainability.
Ferreira do Alentejo
Joaquim Carriço, the company’s commercial technician, states that Liquiadubos is already established, and the factory remains on schedule to begin operations in spring 2025. The project, he highlights, represents more than just another competitor entering the Portuguese market: its ambition is to “revolutionize” the sector with superior quality products and foster a level of production autonomy previously unseenin Portugal.
Reducing external dependenceand innovationOne of the key differentiators announced by Liquiadubos is the development and launch of two new liquid fertilizer lines, unprecedented in the country. According to Carriço, the main goal is to manufacture two products currently not produced in Portuguese factories. At this point, he did not disclose the formulation.
The domestic market currently relies on importing these inputs, primarily from neighbouring Spain and other countries. By bringing this production to Portuguese soil, Liquiadubos aims to reduce costs, delivery times and reliance on imports, representing gains for both producers and the local economy.
The choice of the factory’s location – in the heart of a region experiencing significant growth in olive and almond groves – responds to the expansion of these crops, which demand efficient fertilization tailored to the needs of fertigation.
“We are at the nerve centre of the areas with the highest consumption of this type of product,” Carriço points out. Initially, the company plans to serve only the Portuguese market.
Environmental sustainabilityas a priority Concerned with its environmental footprint, Liquiadubos is designing its production unit to ensure high ecological standards, both in the manufacturing process and thefinal product.
“When building a new factory from scratch, we have significant environmental concerns, regarding both manufacturing and the fertilizers themselves,” Carriço emphasizes. The fertilizers will leave the facility compliant with current environmental legislation, and the team is working on innovative
technologies promising a dual benefit: increased productivityfor farmers and reducedenvironmental impact.
Modern infrastructureand regional distributionIn addition to liquid fertilizer production, the new facility will feature warehouses for granulated products and storage for phytosanitary products, optimizing logistics and offerings for farmers. The project also includes modern offices, meeting rooms and service areas for inbound and outbound logistics, establishing itself as a comprehensive platform for clients and distributors.
With a focus on differentiation, quality and sustainability, Liquiadubos believes it is poised to transform Portugal’s domestic fertilizer industry and aims
to become a benchmarkin an increasingly competitivesector committed to the country’s agricultural and environmental future. ●
Liquiadubos has built a new liquid fertilizer plant in Portugal. Image: Voz do Campo CANAL
Products and Trends News
The EU tariff increases on Russian and Belarussian fertilizer imports include CN codes that cover NPKs and water-soluble fertilizers, such as a technical MAP, and urea phosphate.
The EU parliament passed the resolution on 22 May 2025 to modify the customs duties applicable to the imports of certain goods “originating in or exported directly or indirectly from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.”
“The text also provides for a 6.5 percent tariff on fertilisers imported from Russia and Belarus, plus duties of between €40 and €45 per tonne for the 2025-2026 period. These tariffs will rise to €430 per tonne by 2028,” the EU statement reads. These changes are set to come into effect from 1 July.
The standing rapporteur for Russia Inese Vaidere (EPP, LV) said: “The regulation gradually increasing customs duties for products from Russia and Belarus will help to prevent Russia from using the EU market to finance its war machine. It is not acceptable that three years after Russia launched its full-scale war, the EU is still buying critical products in large volumes, in fact, these imports have risen significantly.
The proposal will boost EU fertiliser production, which has taken a hit from cheap Russian imports, while giving farmers time to adjust.
Importantly, the proposal also includes monitoring provisions
enabling the Commission to “follow the fertiliser market closely and take action if prices shoot up.”
Commenting on the resolution, COPA COGECA, an organisation representing agri-cooperatives and farmers in EU, said “Copa and Cogeca acknowledge the geopolitical context behind the Commission’s initiative and the co-legislators’ decision to support it. While recognising broader foreign policy goals, we must emphasize the serious economic and operational consequences this proposal represents for the EU agricultural sector. Despite the Commission’s promises before the vote regarding market monitoring, fertilisers – being a major cost for the entire profession – remain a significant concern and raise serious doubts about the competitiveness and future of European farming.”
In its text regarding the tariff changes, the EU lists the CN codes (Combined Nomenclature), which are 8-digit commodity codes used within the EU and an extension of the Harmonized System (HS) codes used in global trade. The CN codes were as follows:
“With regard to the goods falling under CN code 3102: (i) 6,5 % ad valorem + 40 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2026; (ii) 6,5 % ad valorem + 60 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2027; (iii) 6,5 % ad valorem + 80 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2027 until 30 June 2028; (iv) 6,5 % ad valorem + 315 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2028″
The 3102 code includes: “Mineral or chemical fertilizers, nitrogenous fertilizers, such as solid urea,
ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate.” Within this category are 3102 60, which are “double salts and mixtures of calcium nitrate and ammonium nitrate”, and 3102 80 “mixtures of urea and ammonium nitrate in aqueous or ammoniacal solution”. It should be noted that fertilizer-grade calcium nitrate (CN) is often listed under another HS code: 2834 29 (see New AG article for discussion on CN and the 2834 HS code). Russia is not a large exporter of CN, compared with Norway and China, with volumes in the tens of thousands of tons.
The other category listed in the EU text was 3105. The text specified the 6 digit codes as follows: “With regard to the goods falling under CN codes 3105 20, 3105 30, 3105 40, 3105 51, 3105 59 and 3105 90: (i) 6,5 % ad valorem + 45 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2026; (ii) 6,5 % ad valorem + 70 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2027; (iii) 6,5 % ad valorem + 95 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2027 until 30 June 2028; (iv) 6,5 % ad valorem + 430 EUR/tonne from 1 July 2028.
The text does not mention potash separately, which comes under 3104 codes, but only in the context of the 3105 NPK codes. The category 3105 covers: “mineral or chemical fertilizers containing two or three of the fertilizing elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. This includes diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate.”
The six-digit codes cover the following: 3105 20 – NPKs, mineral or chemical fertilizers containing three fertilizing elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, 3105 30 – Diammonium phosphate (DAP), 3105 40 – Monoammonium phosphate (MAP) 3105 51 – containing nitrates and phosphates, 3105 59 – “other” category, 3105 90 – other, potassium nitrate-sodium nitrate mixture.
Potassium nitrate (PN) is listed under HS code 31059010, and similar to CN is also reported under another code 2834. However, Russia is not a large exporter of PN. The water-soluble fertilizer urea phosphate, which is produced in Russia, comes under HS code 31055900.
In 2021, the EU imposed restrictions on Belarus that included potash; and from March 2022, a new package of sanctions led to a total ban on potash imports. Between 2018 and 2020, 27 percent of the potash imported into the EU originated in Belarus, said the EU in its communication. ●
The EU hopes that the tariffs will boost EU fertilizer production. Yara's production site at Sluiskil, The Netherlands.
Bulgarian fertilizer producer Agropolychim has begun construction of a new 50,000 tonnes per year calcium nitrate plant at its site at Devnya, near the port of Varna.
The new plant, valued at EUR 40 million, is part of an overall investment of EUR 250 million, said the company in its 12 June statement.
The new plant will produce granulated, water-solublecalcium nitrate (CN) and havea new logistics base for packaging, storage and distribution.
“With this project, Agropolychim is entering a new market segment – premium agricultural products with high added value. In addition to calcium nitrate, the new facility will enable the production of a wide range of liquid fertilizers enriched with calcium, sulphur, magnesium, potassium and micronutrients,” the company said.
Agropolychim expects the CN market to grow with a steady CAGR of “over 3%” in the next five years. “While the primary focus will be on export markets – mainly in Southern and Western Europe – the product will also be made available to Bulgarian farmers at highly competitive prices compared to imported alternatives.”
To counter the hygroscopic nature of the product, Agropolychim intends to implement an automated FFS (Form, Fill, Seal) packaging line for 25 kg bags. The bags will undergo vacuum sealing, meet the EU standards for durability and protection, and be automatically stacked on stretch-wrapped pallets of up to 1,200 kg.
The company says that the CN will be its first product to have a certified low carbon footprint. It says production will be based on blue ammonia (where the CO2 is captured and stored), and the steam and electricity used in the process will “be primarily sourced from renewable energy.”
As well as ammonium nitrate, Agropolychim produces triple super phosphate (TSP), ammoniated phosphates and NPKs. The company exports product via rail; barges on the River Danube, and sea-borne exports from Varna, or the port of Constanta to the north. Both ports are on the Black Sea.
Administrative challenges The company said that the project enters its execution phase after nearly five years of delays caused by complex administrative procedures in Bulgaria, including urban planning, environmental impact assessments, integrated permits and construction authorization. “These challenges are not rooted in legislation but in limited administrative capacity and poor inter-institutional coordination,” the company said.
“Despite the delays, the construction of the new calcium nitrate facility is a clear demonstration of Agropolychim’s long-term commitment to innovation, sustainable manufacturing, and the future of agriculture – both in Bulgaria and across Europe.”
An indication of when the first product would be leaving the plant was not given. ●
