Over 50 state grower groups and eight national ag groups filed a letter with the Department of Commerce on Friday urging it to revoke countervailing duties on imports of phosphate fertilizer as the sunset review begins.
The letter, signed by groups like the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, USA Rice and US Rice Producers Association, said if the duties continue, they will further worsen the dire economic conditions faced by American farmers.
“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.”
Phosphate fertilizer is an essential input for modern crop production, used predominately for growing corn, soybeans, cotton and other agricultural commodities. U.S. growers rely on phosphate fertilizer to maintain yields and remain competitive in domestic and global markets. Phosphate fertilizer is fundamental to producing the food and fiber that sustains American families and rural economies.
In 2020, the Commerce Department, acting on a petition filed by the U.S.-based Mosaic Company, 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. This year, the duties will be examined under a sunset review process that will determine if the duties should continue.
The duties have had major effects on the phosphate fertilizer market. 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 with the conflict 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. For many growers, fertilizer represented 40 percent 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.”
Ag groups recently sent a letter to the CEOs at Mosaic and Simplot raising their concerns. There was no response. The groups hope officials at Commerce and the International Trade Commission will strongly consider their perspective in the sunset review and revoke the duties.
READ THE LETTER
