US Senator pushes to remove tariffs on Moroccan fertilizer imports
The proposed bill aims to lower input costs for American farmers as global supply strains push prices higher.
MOROCCO – The United States may soon ease trade limits on Moroccan phosphate fertilizers after Senator Roger Marshall introduced a new bill to cut costs for farmers facing high input prices.
Marshall presented the “Lowering Input Costs for American Farmers Act” on April 28. The bill calls for the removal of tariffs, including countervailing duties placed on Moroccan fertilizer imports. The move targets rising costs that continue to strain farm operations across the country.
Kansas farmers are being hit hard by a fertilizer market that is working against them. Phosphate is an essential nutrient for agricultural production, and farmers are currently paying prices that threaten their profitability. This bill removes duties that drive up costs, Marshall said.
The United States ranks as the world’s second largest fertilizer importer after Brazil. Demand remains high, and supply pressures have grown in recent months due to global tensions linked to the war in Iran. Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, have slowed fertilizer flows and pushed prices upward.
The current tariff issue dates back to 2020, when U.S. fertilizer firm Mosaic Co filed a complaint against Moroccan imports, citing unfair subsidies. After an investigation, U.S. authorities imposed a 19.97 percent duty in March 2021. That rate later dropped to 2.12 percent in November 2023, then rose again to 16.81 percent in November 2024.
Recent data shows these duties have had a clear impact on prices. A study from the Agricultural and Food Policy Center in Texas found that the original tariff rate led to a 28.6 percent increase in the price of diammonium phosphate paid by U.S. farmers.
DSCs increased the cost of phosphate fertilizers for U.S. growers of a major crop group by about $6.9 billion over crop years 2021 to 2025, the study noted.
At the same time, global fertilizer prices continue to climb. The World Bank reports that its fertilizer price index rose by more than 12 percent between the last quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.
The U.S. also looks to diversify its supply sources. In 2024, the country imported nearly $9.3 billion (US$9.3 billion) worth of fertilizers. About 22 percent, or close to $2 billion (US$2 billion), came from Middle Eastern suppliers.
Morocco has now entered the conversation as a key option as the U.S. seeks stable and cost effective supply channels.
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