Egypt has revamped its export tax regime for nitrogen fertilizers, replacing a fixed export tax with a 10% ad valorem duty on all nitrogenous fertilizer exports, while exempting high-purity ammonium nitrate, according to a decision published in the Official Gazette on Thursday. The duty, calculated on the FOB invoice value, does not apply to pure ammonium nitrate with a nitrogen concentration exceeding 34.2%, or to shipments destined for productive enterprises in Egypt's free zones, Reuters reported. The World Bank warned in its April Commodity Markets Outlook that global fertilizer prices could rise by more than 30% in 2026 due to conflict-related disruptions in the Middle East and logistical risks around the Strait of Hormuz. The new decree replaces a flat $90-per-metric-ton tax introduced in May, tying the levy more directly to prevailing export prices, which have fallen since peaking in mid-April. Egypt is the world's seventh-largest exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, according to LSEG data.
