Estonia Knows What To Do With Belarusian Fertilizers Stuck In Ports

These are 69 thousand tons.

The Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture proposed to nationalize the Belarusian fertilizers, stuck in the ports, and use them for their intended purpose in Estonian agriculture, reports Baltic Times.

According to the Chamber, 69 thousand tons of fertilizers are stuck in the Estonian ports of Muuga and Sillamae. Tons of ammonium nitrate can't leave the port because of sanctions. The longer they remain in the port, the more dangerous they become. This cargo may cause an explosion like that in Beirut in 2020. It is more difficult, expensive and far more dangerous to destroy such fertilizer than to simply sell it.

At the same time, the "stuck" volumes are enough to meet the needs of Estonian agriculture for a whole year, writes the Estonian media ERR.

The Chamber suggests distributing the volumes from the warehouses among Estonian fertilizer traders. The problem is that the largest fertilizer sellers in Estonia have set an internal rule: they will not sell fertilizers made in Russia or Belarus. That's why the chamber is proposing to nationalize them.

"If the fertilizers stored in Sillamae and Muuga are nationalized, it will be easier for operators to sell them on the Estonian market. If the product is declared state-owned, then the fertilizer can be sold, for example, at auction," Estonian media journalists write.

The Chamber stresses the decision to remove sanctions on ammonium nitrate or to nationalize the stocks should be taken as soon as possible. Then it will be possible to use it already in autumn.

At the same time, ammonium nitrate is now supplied to Estonia from countries that are not subject to sanctions, at very high prices. The Chamber considers it unreasonable to declare the fertilizer a hazardous waste and spend money on its disposal, while it is possible to use it for its intended purpose.