Algeria Asks Urea Producers to Halt France Shipments
Algeria reportedly asked its urea producers to suspend shipments to France, a move that could disrupt a key fertilizer supply chain.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Organic Food
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Algeria reportedly asked its urea producers to suspend shipments to France, according to a Reuters report dated October 23, 2026. The French Foreign Ministry said it had received no notification of the restriction.
Why it matters
Egypt and Algeria together supplied nearly 60% of France's urea imports in 2025, so any disruption could affect fertilizer availability for French agriculture. Natural gas is a key input for ammonia and urea, and high energy costs weigh heavily on European nitrogen fertilizer production.
France imported 631,031 tons of urea from Egypt and 480,989 tons from Algeria in 2025, with Egyptian shipments up 25% and Algerian shipments up 11.3% from 2024. Whether the reported suspension takes effect, and how France would replace those volumes, has not been confirmed.
The players
Reuters
The international news agency that first reported Algeria's reported request to its urea producers.
Fertiglobe
A United Arab Emirates-based fertilizer company that holds a 51% stake in Sorfert's Arzew facility.
The details
Sorfert, a plant at Arzew that is 51% owned by the United Arab Emirates-based Fertiglobe, has access to two export jetties at the ports of Arzew and Bethioua. Its nominal annual urea capacity is 1.3 million tons, while Egypt's estimated annual capacity is 7 million to 7.3 million tons.
Timeline
2023: Facilities representing 9% of Europe's ammonia capacity began permanently closing.
2024: MOPCO produced 1.718 million tons of urea.
October 23, 2026: Reuters reported Algeria's reported request to suspend shipments to France.
Roadmap
Europe has been permanently closing ammonia capacity since 2023, with facilities representing 9% of the region's ammonia output shut down. This supply disruption builds on that trend by increasing France's dependence on imported urea.
If the suspension takes effect and France shifts to other suppliers, grocery and farm input costs could be affected, though the outcome depends on energy prices and competing exporters' capacity. The reported request has not been confirmed by French authorities.
The takeaway
Fertilizer supply can be shaped by energy costs and trade decisions far from the farm. Readers following food prices should watch for official confirmation of any change in urea shipments.
Further reading
Explore more on Organic Food to see how fertilizer supply and farming inputs connect to food production.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ecofin Agency.
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