Updated

Updated · Farm Progress · Aug 6

U.S. Suspends Moroccan Phosphate Duties as Hormuz Closure Threatens 30% of Fertilizer Flows

Updated

Updated · Farm Progress · Aug 6

U.S. Suspends Moroccan Phosphate Duties as Hormuz Closure Threatens 30% of Fertilizer Flows

2 articles · Updated · Farm Progress · Aug 6

Washington suspended countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate products to speed more fertilizer into the U.S., with triple superphosphate shipments already reported en route from Morocco.
At least 30% of global fertilizer and feedstocks move through the Strait of Hormuz, and its effective closure has made cargo delivery difficult and raised fears over sulfur supply.
Chris Vlachopoulos of ICIS said the market is shifting from a price model to an access model: product is still available now, but securing long-term supply is becoming the bigger risk for farmers.
Sulfur is critical for making phosphate fertilizers such as DAP and MAP, and the disruption has exposed a wider structural squeeze because sulfur supply is tied to fossil-fuel output.
For U.S. farmers booking fall and spring needs, the immediate season appears covered, but prolonged disruption could reshape fertilizer planning from bargain-hunting to securing any available supply.

Sources

Will emergency Moroccan imports be enough to save U.S. harvests, or is the era of cheap agricultural production permanently over?

With the fertilizer market shifting from price to pure survival, how close are import-dependent nations to catastrophic agricultural collapse?

As the Hormuz closure chokes off vital sulfur supplies, could the green energy transition ironically trigger a global food crisis?

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