Seven Republican U.S. Senators have written a letter to U.S. Geological Survey Acting Director Dave Applegate urging him not to remove potash from the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior 2021 List of Critical Minerals and to add phosphate as a critical mineral.
“As you are aware, we are facing a serious supply shortage of fertilizers for our farmers and ranchers, leading to prices more than doubling for potash and phosphate fertilizers,” said the senators. “Nothing is more core to national security than food security, and without fertilizer, American agricultural yields will quickly suffer and so too will Americans who have long enjoyed affordable food prices.”
The senators included Roger Marshall (Kan.), John Boozman (Ark.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), John Hoeven (N.D.), Mike Braun (Ind.), John Thune (S.D.), and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.).
The Critical Minerals List published to the Federal Register on May 18, 2018, included potash as a critical mineral. However, the updated draft list of minerals removed potash in its findings (GM Nov. 24, p. 1). Furthermore, a 2018 National Science and Technology Council Report identified phosphate as a potentially critical mineral, yet phosphate has not been listed as a critical mineral in any draft lists.
“To us, it is clear – under the definition of ‘critical mineral,’ potash should remain as a critical mineral and phosphate should be added to the list of critical minerals,” said the senators. “Potash in the United States only comes from a few sources: one domestic producer, Canada, Russia, and Belarus. Currently, Belarus is under trade sanctions due to human rights violations, and that nation is the third largest producer and exporter globally. Our relationship with Russia is certainly not free of political risk nor anti-competitive behavior. While Canada is a quality trading partner, putting all our potash import eggs in one basket is not a smart strategy.
“Phosphate is under even more of a geopolitical threat,” said the senators, noting that China recently banned the export of phosphate fertilizer through June 2022 and Russia placed a six-month quota on exports. “The U.S. International Trade Commission has also issued countervailing duties on phosphate from Russia and Morocco, which clearly indicates a global market of anti-competitive behavior.”
They added that phosphate deposits contain some rare earth elements (REEs) that have been identified as critical minerals, and accordingly, phosphate should be granted the same identification as those REEs.