Ag Groups Urge Mosaic, J.R. Simplot to Renounce Fertilizer Duties

Citing the impact of the Middle East conflict, 64 agricultural groups, including the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), sent a letter today to the chief executives of two of the nation's largest domestic fertilizer producers urging them to support the removal of duties placed on imported phosphate products from Morocco.

"The recent Middle East conflict has led to increases in the prices of U.S. fertilizer, regardless of actual impact to the U.S. supply," read the letter, which was sent to Mosaic Company CEO Bruce Bodine and J.R. Simplot CEO Garrett Lofto. "We strongly urge efforts to lower and stabilize prices by renouncing support of phosphate duties incurred through antidumping and countervailing duty investigations."

In 2020, the Commerce Department, acting on a petition filed by Mosaic, imposed duties on phosphate fertilizers imported from Morocco and Russia. Mosaic claimed at the time that unfairly subsidized foreign companies were flooding the U.S. market with fertilizers and selling the products at extremely low prices. The petition was supported by J.R. Simplot.

As a result of the decision, at least one Moroccan company halted shipments of phosphate fertilizers into the U.S., which led to price hikes and shortages, saddling farmers with a hardship that has only worsened in recent weeks.

"The conflict, on top of already high U.S. input prices, further negates the need for U.S. companies to need CVD protection," the letter noted. "To the contrary, U.S. agricultural security - and hence national security - require that farmers have increased access to critical fertilizers."

Read the Letter