US farm groups press Commerce to drop phosphate fertilizer duties

US agricultural groups are urging the Department of Commerce to revoke countervailing duties on imports of phosphate fertilizer as the sunset review begins.

"The United States simply does not have sufficient domestic phosphate resources to meet agricultural demand on its own," said a joint letter signed by several groups including the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, USA Rice and US Rice Producers Association.

Phosphate fertilizer is an essential input for modern crop production, used predominantly for growing corn, soybeans, cotton and other agricultural commodities.

According to the National Corn Growers Association, for many growers, fertilizer represented 40% of operating costs in 2025, and price increases in this critical input directly affect planting decisions, long-term viability, and the livelihoods of farm families.

"Maintaining the phosphate fertilizer [duties] will allow a small set of powerful corporations to continue to limit supply options for farmers," the letter said. "This has already prevented farmers from accessing the tools that meet their crop production needs and resulted in lower yields and negative economic impacts."

In 2020, the US Department of Commerce imposed tariffs on phosphate fertilizers imported from Morocco and Russia, following a petition by the Mosaic Company, a major US fertilizer producer. Mosaic argued that foreign competitors were benefiting from unfair government subsidies, allowing them to sell fertilizers in the US at artificially low prices and undercutting domestic producers. The petition received backing from another US agribusiness, J.R. Simplot.

At least one Moroccan company halted shipments of phosphate fertilizers to the US, leading to price hikes and shortages and saddling farmers with hardship that has only worsened in recent weeks amid the war in the Middle East.

"These [duties] have placed additional strain on farmers already navigating volatile commodity markets, weather uncertainty, and rising expenses across nearly every category of farm operations, and have impacted the affordability crisis that is so critical today," the letter said.