WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed off on a temporary halt to certain import duties on phosphate fertilizer coming from Morocco, the White House announced Monday, as the country’s farmers struggle with fertilizer shortages stemming from the ongoing Iran war.
Back in March, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett indicated the Trump administration was actively searching for additional fertilizer sources. That need became more urgent after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz sharply reduced supplies from major fertilizer-producing nations in the Middle East.
In a formal proclamation released by the White House, Trump stated: “Global supply chains for phosphate fertilizer and fertilizer inputs, including imports of such products into the United States, have been disrupted in recent months by, among other things, conflicts in fertilizer-producing regions as well as trade actions taken by major fertilizer-producing countries.”
Trump’s proclamation also noted that current U.S. phosphate fertilizer production falls short of what is needed to sustain domestic food and agricultural output, even after accounting for exports.
The administration said it is collaborating with private industry to boost domestic fertilizer manufacturing capacity, but acknowledged that meaningful increases in supply will take time to achieve. In the meantime, the president noted that countries such as Morocco are currently in a position to deliver phosphate fertilizers to the United States without disruption.
