A group of agricultural organizations are requesting the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, to revoke the countervailing duty orders on the importation of phosphate fertilizers. In a letter to Secretary Lutnick, the group highlights that Countervailing duty orders will increase the current economic conditions facing American farmers.
The letter states, “Maintaining the phosphate fertilizer CVDs will allow a small set of powerful corporations to continue to limit supply options for farmers. This has already prevented farmers from accessing the tools that meet their crop production needs and resulted in lower yields and negative economic impacts.”
The group also shares that, “The current phosphate fertilizer countervailing duties (CVDs) are facilitating that constraint of supply. These CVDs have placed additional strain on farmers already navigating volatile commodity markets, weather uncertainty, and rising expenses across nearly every category of farm operations, and have impacted the affordability crisis that is so critical today. For many growers, fertilizer represented 40 percent of operating costs in 2025, and price increases in this critical input directly affect planting decisions, long-term viability, and the livelihoods of farm families.”
The group of organizations includes: the National Corn Growers Association, the American Soybean Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, the National Cotton Council, the National Sorghum Producers, the Georgia Corn Growers Association, and the Georgia/Florida Soybean Association.
Audio Reporting by Dale Sandlin for Southeast AgNet.