Article: French Nitrogen Fertilizers May Face Shortages.(after French port authorities bar imports for safety reasons)(Brief Article)

FRENCH PORT authorities barred the unloading of imports of ammonium nitrates (AN) last week, raising the specter of possible shortages of nitrogen fertilizer in the country.

The restrictions followed an explosion of 300 tons of ammonium nitrates at a fertilizer plant in Toulouse, France, which killed 29 people and injured almost 3,000 in France's worse post-war industrial accident.

The port authorities claimed there were doubts about whether the imports, mainly from Eastern Europe and North Africa, met European Union safety regulations on AN fertilizers. Imports account for roughly 50 percent of the French ammonium nitrate market.

The action ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!