ASA Comments on Fertilizer Countervailing Duties

Today, the American Soybean Association (ASA), its 26 state soybean affiliates representing 30 states, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and other organizations sent a letter urging fertilizer manufacturers Mosaic and Simplot to withdraw support for countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imports from Morocco and Russia that continue to drive up input costs for farmers. 

"U.S. farmers are facing significant economic pressure, and high fertilizer prices only add to those challenges," said Scott Metzger, president of ASA and an Ohio soybean farmer. "The countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imports have played a major role in the high cost of inputs for soybean production. Farmers need access to reliable, affordable fertilizer supplies to remain competitive, and imported inputs play a key role to ensuring we are able to continue producing the crops that support our food and fuel systems."

Since the first petition for countervailing duties in 2021, ASA has strongly opposed the imposition of duties. Even before recent geopolitical disruptions affecting the global fertilizer supply caused prices to spike, phosphate fertilizer prices had already doubled in recent years. Today, those pressures have only intensified as new supply disruptions continue to tighten global fertilizer markets. Throughout the sunset review process at the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, ASA will continue working with industry partners and policymakers to ensure farmers have access to the inputs they need at reasonable and competitive prices by opposing the extension of these duties on phosphate imports.