The NFU has called on the Chancellor to use the upcoming Budget to protect British farmers from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. The new UK carbon border tax will add costs to imported fertiliser from 2027, and those costs are set to rise every year. Since the UK no longer produces ammonia, domestic growers have no way to avoid the levy. NFU deputy president Paul Tompkins argues the policy is unbalanced. Imported food produced with the same fertiliser will not face the same tax, which puts UK food production at a competitive disadvantage. He wants Budget measures that lower production costs, build resilience, and treat food security as a real policy priority. The illustrative rates published by government are the first concrete signal of how CBAM will hit farming. The question now is whether the Budget will adjust the scope, provide rebates, or leave growers to absorb the cost.
