Due to the blockade of the Hormuz Strait, U.S. fertilizer imports from the Middle East dropped to zero in May, with total imports plunging 44% year-on-year to 553,000 tons.
- Trade data provider Descartes Datamyne stated on Thursday that in May, the United States’ fertilizer imports from Middle Eastern ports affected by the Strait of Hormuz blockade dropped to zero, resulting in overall crop nutrient imports falling by 44% year-on-year to 553,000 metric tons. This represents one of the earliest assessments of the war’s impact on American farmers. The Middle East supplies nearly one-third of the world’s fertilizer trade, which is typically shipped through the strait.
- The supply interruption of urea from Qatar, with common raw materials such as sulfur and ammonia also restricted, has tightened supply and caused prices to soar. According to data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, global fertilizer prices rose by about 20% from February to May. U.S. fertilizer imports plummeted month-by-month from 464,000 metric tons in February. Recently, nitrogen fertilizer prices have retreated slightly due to a decline in seasonal demand, but phosphate fertilizer prices remain high.
- American farmers growing crops such as corn, wheat, and soybeans are under multiple pressures from drought, rising input costs, and lost sales. In May, the president of Nutrien—the world’s largest potash producer—stated that regardless of when the war ends, high fertilizer prices could persist until 2027. At the end of last month, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced an investigation into fertilizer pricing. Last week, Trump said he was considering measures to help farmers affected by high prices, but did not disclose specific details.
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