# Urea: Regulation

A quarter of India's urea now comes by sea

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/regulation/

A quarter of India's urea now comes by sea What this tab covers How it is regulated and what could disrupt supply: hazard classification, rules in the EU, US and India, anti-dumping duties and other trade measures, and supply-risk notes.

#### Hazards

| Classification | UN number | Key risks |
|---|---|---|
| Not classified as hazardous under GHS in most jurisdictions | not regulated | Low acute hazard. Main risks are environmental: ammonia volatilisation, nitrate leaching and N2O from fields. |

#### Main rules

| Where | Rule | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| **EU** | Fertilising Products Regulation (EU) 2019/1009; CBAM covers urea (CN 3102 10) from 2026; Germany and others limit unprotected urea use (indicative) | carbon cost on imports; push to inhibitor-treated urea |
| **EU** | Tariffs on Russian and Belarusian nitrogen fertilisers from July 2025, rising to 2028 (indicative) | diverts Russian urea to other markets |
| **China** | Export inspection and quota system since October 2021 | controls export volumes |

#### India

| Rule | Effect |
|---|---|
| **Fertiliser (Control) Order 1985: at least 46% N, biuret at most 1.5%, moisture at most 1.0%** | product standard |
| **Essential Commodities Act; urea under statutory price control (Rs 242 per 45 kg bag)** | fixed farm price |
| **New Urea Policy 2015 with energy norms; mandatory neem coating (2015)** | plant efficiency targets; stops diversion to industry |
| **Canalised imports through state trading enterprises** | government controls import volumes and timing |

#### Trade measures

- China export quotas
- EU CBAM from 2026 and tariffs on Russian fertilisers
- India import canalisation

#### Supply risk

Chokepoint risk at Hormuz; Chinese export policy; sanctions on Russia. India's import dependence was about 26% of sales in FY2026 (10.38 of 39.64 Mt). Fertilisers are treated as strategic in India but urea is not on mineral critical lists.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/movement/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/links/index.md)