U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) on May 31 sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai urging her to focus on meeting the long-term fertilizer needs of the U.S.
“We write today to urge you to develop and begin executing a strategic plan for the long-term stability of fertilizer trade for our farmers and ranchers,” said the senators. “Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine is sparking concerns over famine in Africa and the Middle East.
“Societies dependent on agriculture are keenly aware of the threat of food insecurity,” they continued. “Big agrarian nations like Brazil are already acting to re-draw global trade routes, especially regarding fertilizer, to ensure the productivity of their nation and address the needs of a starving world. We must do the same.”
The senators noted that several major global producers of different crop nutrients – China, Russia, and Belarus – have proven to be unreliable trading partners, and that the U.S. International Trade Commission has imposed duties on Morocco, a major phosphate producer, and is in the process of doing so on UAN from Trinidad and Tobago.
“We cannot be left scrambling in 2023 and beyond to find crop nutrients, we need to begin working today to solve this inevitable challenge,” they added.
“We believe enhancing our fertilizer trading relationship with Canada should be a priority of the administration,’ said the senators. “USTR should also consider negotiations to eliminate the cross-border vaccine mandate between the U.S. and Canada, which is hindering the movement of goods.
“Second, we believe USTR should engage with China to reduce or eliminate their fertilizer export restrictions, which decrease the supply of phosphates on the global market, driving prices up. Finally, we strongly encourage you to use the tools at the administration’s disposal to eliminate barriers to the importation of crop nutrients, and to negotiate to ensure fertilizer supplies are abundant and affordable here in the U.S.,” they concluded.