Finland fertiliser imports from Russia by rail will stop after a sharp increase in Russian rail tariffs made the route commercially unviable, ending one of the most controversial trade flows still crossing the Finnish-Russian border since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The decision was announced by Fertilog, the logistics and port services consortium responsible for importing the mineral fertilisers from Russia. According to the company, Russian authorities raised tariffs on rail shipments to Finland from 1 July, increasing transport costs eightfold.
Finland fertiliser imports face a sudden break
Fertilog said the new Russian tariff level makes rail-based imports of mineral fertilisers from Russia no longer commercially viable. Until now, these shipments had continued through the Vainikkala border crossing in south-eastern Finland, even though other Finnish-Russian border crossings have remained closed to traffic since December 2023.
The trade had become an exception in Finland’s post-2022 relationship with Russia. While the EU moved to restrict many Russian exports after the invasion of Ukraine, fertilisers were initially treated differently because of their role in food security and agricultural production.
Yle reported that fertiliser trains had continued to move from Russia to Finland despite political criticism, because the products were not banned under EU sanctions. The shipments were allowed through a limited border route while wider cross-border traffic remained suspended.
Why Russian fertiliser still mattered for Finnish agriculture
The end of the rail route creates new uncertainty for Finnish farmers. Mineral fertilisers are particularly important in Finland because the country’s colder climate and shorter growing season require crops to receive nutrients quickly and efficiently.
Max Schulman, a spokesperson for the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (Maa- ja metsätaloustuottajain Keskusliitto, MTK), told Yle that the decision was not unexpected, but would make domestic agricultural production more difficult.
According to Schulman, fertilisers imported from Russia had accounted for about 10–15 percent of Finland’s overall fertiliser imports. He also suggested that Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian fertiliser production during the spring may have contributed to Moscow’s decision to raise rail tariffs.
The disruption comes as European agriculture is already facing pressure from higher input costs and uncertainty in global fertiliser markets. Recent tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz have added further concerns, as the waterway is a major route for energy and fertiliser-related trade.
EU policy is shifting away from Russian fertiliser
The Finnish decision also fits into a broader EU effort to reduce dependence on Russian and Belarusian agricultural inputs.
In 2025, the Council of the European Union adopted new tariffs on remaining agricultural products and certain fertilisers from Russia and Belarus. The measure was designed to reduce EU dependence on those imports and limit revenues that could support Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The European Parliament said the measure included a 6.5 percent tariff on fertilisers from Russia and Belarus, together with additional duties between €40 and €45 per tonne for the 2025–2026 period. Those duties are set to rise gradually and reach €430 per tonne by 2028.
At the same time, the EU has tried to ease pressure on farmers by suspending customs duties for one year on certain nitrogen-based fertilisers, including urea and ammonia. However, the Council specified that the suspension does not apply to fertilisers imported from Russia or Belarus.
This dual approach reflects the EU’s current dilemma: reducing economic links with Russia while trying to avoid higher costs for farmers and food producers.
A border exception comes to an end
Russia’s decision also coincides with a wider tightening of border arrangements. Russian authorities ordered the temporary closure of several checkpoints along the borders with Finland, Estonia and Latvia from 1 July.
For Finland, the end of Russian fertiliser imports by rail removes a politically sensitive exception from its trade with Russia. But it also increases pressure on the agricultural sector to secure alternative supplies at a time when fertiliser prices and global logistics remain unstable.
The change may therefore have consequences beyond Finland. It shows how the Nordic region is still adjusting to the long-term economic effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine, where security policy, border management and food production are increasingly connected.
