Algeria reportedly halts urea exports to France

Algeria has reportedly instructed urea producers to stop exporting the fertilizer to France, escalating trade restrictions amid a diplomatic rift between the countries. The reported halt could put at risk about 30% of France’s urea imports and add costs or supply pressure for farmers who depend on the nitrogen fertilizer; the impact will depend partly on how long the measure lasts and whether other suppliers can make up the difference. The tensions worsened after French President Emmanuel Macron backed a plan for autonomy for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty, and neither the reported export halt nor Algeria’s near-blanket restrictions on French imports have been formally confirmed by the Algerian government.