Svein Tore Holsether, CEO of Norwegian fertilizer manufacturer Yara, warns that the EU's efforts to bolster industrial competitiveness are moving too slowly, risking a scenario where Europe falls behind the US and China, Bloomberg News reports.
According to Holsether, the implementation of Mario Draghi's 2024 competitiveness report has been 'alarmingly slow', putting pressure on the chemical and fertilizer industries. Meanwhile, European fertilizer production has declined sharply due to high gas prices, fierce global competition, and stringent environmental regulations.
Yara considers the EU's new fertilizer strategy a step in the right direction but calls for greater investment in energy production to strengthen competitiveness.
The company continues to shift investments away from Europe and is currently evaluating an ammonia project in Louisiana in partnership with Air Products & Chemicals.
Yara International ASA is a worldwide leader in producing and selling mineral fertilizers. Net sales break down by activity as follows:
- production and sale of mineral fertilizers (78.7%): 23.7 million tons sold in 2025 of simple nitrogenated fertilizers (calcium nitrates, urea, etc.), complex fertilizers (nitrogen- phosphorous- and potassium- based), specialty fertilizers (plant nutrition products, potassium nitrates, etc.), and magnesium- and sulfur-based fertilizers. Net sales are distributed by geographic area between Europe (35.5%), the Americas (44.5%), Africa and Asia (19.5%) and other (0.5%);
- sale of industrial chemical products (15.7%): 6.4 million tons of nitrogen based chemical products sold (including ammonia, nitric acids, ammonium nitrates) for the automotive, construction, waste treatment, shipping, chemical, mining and animal feed industries;
- production of ammonia (5.5%). The group also develops ammonia trading activity;
- other (0.1%).
At the end of 2025, the group had 25 production sites worldwide.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Europe (35.9%), Brazil (23.1%), Asia (14.5%), North America (12.1%), Latin America (8.7%) and Africa (5.7%).
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