More than 60 U.S. agricultural organisations are urging major domestic fertilizer producers to withdraw support for duties on imported phosphate fertilizers, warning that current policies are contributing to high input costs for farmers already facing economic pressure.
In a letter dated March 13, 2026, a coalition of 64 farm and commodity groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, called on executives at The Mosaic Company and J.R. Simplot Company to help lower fertilizer prices by renouncing support for countervailing and antidumping duties on phosphate imports from Morocco.
The letter was addressed to Mosaic CEO Bruce Bodine and Simplot CEO Garrett Lofto.
In the letter, farm organisations said the recent conflict in the Middle East has contributed to increased fertilizer prices in the United States, even where the actual supply has not been directly disrupted.
“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,” the coalition wrote, urging the companies to support measures that would lower and stabilise prices for farmers.
According to the groups, countervailing duties—designed to protect domestic industries from subsidised imports—have had the unintended consequence of keeping phosphate fertilizer prices high while limiting supply diversification.
The dispute dates back to 2020 when the United States Department of Commerce imposed duties on phosphate fertilizers imported from Morocco and Russia. The decision followed a petition filed by Mosaic, which argued that heavily subsidised foreign producers were flooding the U.S. market with cheap fertilizers and harming domestic manufacturers. The petition was supported by Simplot.
However, farm groups say the tariffs have had significant consequences for the agricultural sector. After the duties were introduced, at least one Moroccan supplier halted phosphate shipments to the United States, tightening supply and contributing to price increases.
With fertilizer costs already near record highs, farmers say the current market conditions are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
“Farmers across the United States are struggling as input costs remain close to record highs,” the organisations wrote, adding that fertilizer manufacturers could help ease pressure on the agricultural economy by withdrawing their support for the duties.
The coalition argues that improving access to imported phosphate fertilizers would strengthen agricultural productivity and help stabilise production costs.
“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 stated. “U.S. agricultural security—and hence national security—require that farmers have increased access to critical fertilizers.”
The signatories, which include commodity associations representing corn, soybeans, cotton, rice and sorghum producers, are calling on the companies to work with farmers and policymakers to allow additional phosphate supplies into the country at more affordable prices.
They said removing support for the duties would be a practical step toward easing supply constraints and reducing fertilizer costs for American producers navigating volatile global markets.
