Trump suspends tariffs on Africa’s largest fertilizer producer imports as U.S. declares food supply emergency

Morocco’s position as the world’s leading supplier of phosphate fertilizers has received a major boost after U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily suspended import duties on certain Moroccan fertilizer products under an emergency declaration aimed at protecting America’s food supply.

• President Donald Trump has temporarily suspended duties on Moroccan phosphate fertilizer after declaring an emergency over U.S. fertilizer supplies.
• The move positions Morocco as a critical supplier as Washington races to protect food production following global supply disruptions.
• Morocco, home to more than 70% of the world’s phosphate reserves, is expected to play an even bigger role in global food security.
• The decision also marks a significant shift from years of U.S. trade restrictions on Moroccan phosphate imports.

The White House announced on Monday that Trump had authorised an eight-month suspension of selected anti-dumping and countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imports from Morocco, saying the measure was necessary to ensure American farmers have adequate supplies while domestic production is expanded.

The decision follows mounting concerns over fertilizer shortages triggered by recent geopolitical conflicts and disruptions to global supply chains.

The presidential proclamation, first obtained by Fox Business before being released by the White House, declared an emergency over fertilizer availability, warning that current U.S. production is insufficient to meet domestic agricultural demand.

“This proclamation will ensure that American farmers have access to a sufficient and timely supply of phosphate fertilizers in the near term to mitigate any significant risks to the domestic food supply,” the proclamation said.

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Why Morocco matters

The decision reinforces Morocco’s growing strategic importance in global agriculture. The North African country controls more than 70% of the world’s known phosphate rock reserves and is home to OCP Group, one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of phosphate fertilizers.

Those reserves have increasingly become a strategic asset as governments seek reliable suppliers of agricultural inputs amid geopolitical instability.

Phosphate fertilizers are essential for growing staple crops including corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton. Any disruption to supplies can reduce agricultural output, increase production costs and ultimately drive up food prices.

By temporarily removing duties on Moroccan imports, Washington is effectively acknowledging that Morocco remains one of the few suppliers capable of helping bridge America’s fertilizer shortfall in the near term.

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Policy reversal

In 2021, the United States imposed countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imports from Morocco following a trade complaint by fertilizer producer Mosaic, arguing that Moroccan producers had benefited from unfair government subsidies.

The tariffs significantly reduced Moroccan exports to the U.S. market and became the subject of years of lobbying by American farm groups seeking lower fertilizer costs.

Earlier this month, U.S. trade authorities also launched a five-year review of the duties, raising expectations that Washington could eventually reconsider the measures permanently.

The latest emergency declaration goes a step further by providing immediate tariff relief as farmers grapple with supply shortages.

Food security concerns

Trump’s action comes after fertilizer markets were disrupted by conflict in the Middle East, including supply interruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes for energy and industrial commodities.

In the proclamation, Trump said conflicts in fertilizer-producing regions and trade actions by major producing countries had disrupted global supply chains, while domestic U.S. production remained insufficient after accounting for exports.

The administration said it is working with private companies to expand American fertilizer manufacturing but acknowledged that those efforts will take time to deliver meaningful additional supply.

The decision also builds on a series of actions by the Trump administration to strengthen domestic food security.

In February, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to safeguard supplies of elemental phosphorus, a critical material used in fertilizer production and military equipment.

In June, he signed another executive order aimed at accelerating agricultural technology and strengthening long-term food security.

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Global implications

For Morocco, the suspension is expected to strengthen its position in one of the world’s largest fertilizer markets at a time when governments are increasingly treating agricultural inputs as strategic commodities rather than ordinary exports.

The move could also benefit OCP Group, Morocco’s state-owned phosphate giant, as global demand for reliable fertilizer supplies continues to grow amid geopolitical uncertainty and concerns over food security.

More broadly, the decision highlights how critical minerals once viewed primarily through an industrial lens are becoming central to national security strategies, with phosphate joining semiconductors, rare earths and energy minerals as commodities increasingly shaped by geopolitics rather than market forces alone.