NATO Faces TNT Shortage as Europe Relies on Single Polish Plant; Gaza Use Cited in New Report

NATO faces TNT shortfall amid growing global demand

A new report from a consortium of international rights groups, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, warns that NATO and several European countries are confronting a global TNT shortage after large quantities of the explosive were reportedly used in aerial strikes on Gaza. Poland’s state-owned Nitro‑Chem remains the only sizable TNT manufacturer in Europe and is struggling to meet rising demand.

Nitro‑Chem’s outsized role

According to the report, Nitro‑Chem supplies roughly 90% of the TNT that the United States imports for munitions such as the 2,000 lb 'bunker-buster' MK‑84 and BLU‑109 bombs. The document also alleges Nitro‑Chem has supplied explosives, including TNT and RDX, directly to Israel.

'Without Polish-made TNT, the unprecedented scale and intensity of aerial bombardment that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed the conditions of life in Gaza…would not be possible,' the report states.

Regional and operational impacts

Reliance on a single Polish plant has created a bottleneck that has affected Europe's ability to supply ammunition to Ukraine. The shortage has reportedly forced Kyiv to ration some artillery use while Western stockpiles are replenished under pressure.

Nitro‑Chem does not publish exact annual output; the report cites an estimated production of about 10,000 tonnes per year. At roughly 10–11 kg of explosive per 155 mm shell, that amount would translate to approximately one million rounds. By contrast, the EU pledged more than one million rounds for Ukraine in 2025—an objective that may be difficult to meet if production constraints persist.

Orders, prices and capacity expansion

Nitro‑Chem has been inundated with orders. In April it signed a $310 million contract with the US Department of Defense to supply 18,000 tonnes of TNT between 2027 and 2029. That deal followed US shipments of heavy bombs to Israel and notifications to Congress about additional bomb orders.

The shortage and growing demand have driven prices sharply higher: where TNT cost roughly 38p per pound about two decades ago, current market figures cited in reporting place the price above £15 per pound.

Why production declined and where new capacity is coming from

Many Western producers closed TNT plants decades ago because manufacturing produces polluting and toxic waste. The UK’s last TNT plant closed in 2008 and the US shut its last facility in the 1980s. A Ukrainian factory was seized in 2022. Other major producers, notably China and Russia, are not viewed as viable sources for NATO and its partners.

Industry responses include attempts to rebuild capacity: Swedish firm Swebal plans a new plant near Nora, which it says would raise Europe’s output by about 75%, and the US has commissioned a new TNT facility in Kentucky — the first in America since 1986 — with an expected completion around 2028. The UK also announced a £1.5bn investment to expand munitions manufacturing.

What the report calls for

The report urges Nitro‑Chem and Polish authorities to halt supplies of TNT and other explosives that are used in munitions delivered to Israel. Nitro‑Chem declined to comment publicly on the report's claims, citing the sensitive nature of its operations and reiterating that it complies with applicable international law.

As governments and industry scramble to boost capacity, the report highlights broader ethical and strategic questions about supply chains for munitions, civilian harm in conflict zones, and the geopolitical risks of concentrated industrial capacity.

Sources: Report by a consortium of international rights groups (including the Palestinian Youth Movement); public statements and contract announcements cited in recent reporting.