US Congressman Urges Tariff Relief on Moroccan Fertilizers to Aid American Farmers

Randy Feenstra, a member of the US Congress, is advocating for a reduction in customs duties on Moroccan fertilizer exports to the United States. "There has to be some easing on that," he told Brownfield Ag News. According to him, American farmers are struggling to supply themselves with fertilizers due to the rise in prices. Since 2021, the elected official has been sounding the alarm. "Some of our farmers who were able to secure fertilizer availability for the next planting season have said they have quotes up to six times higher than 2021 prices," he had said before the US House Agriculture Committee.

With the Russian-Ukrainian war, the problem has worsened. "What’s happening in Europe with fertilizer prices and natural gas, these natural gas prices are incredibly high, we’re very concerned about where fertilizer prices are going," said Randy Feenstra, stressing the need to reduce or even lift the duties imposed on US imports of OCP group fertilizers.

Before him, a group of 31 members of the US Congress had written to US President Joe Biden to ask him to use his power to waive the duties on fertilizer imports that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) imposed on OCP group fertilizers on March 12, 2021 following its dispute with its local competitor Mosaic.