The National Corn Growers Association and 62 other ag groups say fertilizer shortages are creating a hardship for U.S. farmers. The groups sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo asking her to consider the current difficulties faced by farmers as she recalculates duties on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco.
“High costs and limited availability of fertilizer continue to strain family farms across the U.S.,” the groups said. The duties levied on fertilizers have caused some of the top phosphate fertilizer importers to drastically reduce the amount brought in. The letter comes after the U.S. Court of International Trade ordered the agency to reconsider its previous decision on recalculating the duties.
The letter says duties levied on phosphate imports combined with other factors have led to substantial price volatility over the past three years as prices increased 230 percent from 2020 to 2022. A determination will be announced on December 13.