The Trade Ministry has renewed for one year a decision to impose a EGP 550-per-tonne fee on nitrogen fertilizer exports, according to a decision published in the Official Gazette. Fertilizer manufacturers have previously said they lose as much as EGP 250 per tonne when selling their output to the government, which then provides it to farmers at a subsidized price. This led them to direct most of their output towards exports and fall behind on their monthly deliveries. The fee, which was raised to EGP 500 last year from EGP 125 the previous year, is therefore meant to discourage the practice.