Phosphates
Overview
The global phosphates market has witnessed increasing volatility, in response to military conflicts, political tensions and changing market dynamics. Price fluctuations have continued to buffet the market, with increasing demand from south and Southeast Asia the main regions driving consumption growth. Rising raw material prices and improved affordability have lifted prices once again.
Phosphates' usage is also not solely limited to fertilizers. Battery-material suppliers are increasingly seeking to source phosphate rock and specialty phosphates-based products to meet the rapidly rising demand for lithium-iron-phosphate batteries for electric vehicle production.
Our extensive phosphates coverage includes DAP, MAP, TSP and SSP, as well as raw materials phosphate rock and phosphoric acid, with assessments also spanning feed products MCP and DCP. Argus has many decades of experience covering the phosphates market and incorporate our multi-commodity market expertise in key areas including sulphur and ammonia to provide the full market narrative.
Argus support market participants with:
- Daily and weekly phosphates price assessments, proprietary data and market commentary
- Short and medium to long-term forecasting, modelling and analysis of processed phosphate and phosphate rock prices, supply, demand, trade and projects
- Bespoke consulting project support
Latest phosphate news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global phosphate industry.
India ends fertilizer year with 1.3mn t in DAP stocks
India ends fertilizer year with 1.3mn t in DAP stocks
London, 3 April (Argus) — Low offtake in the first quarter of 2025 allowed Indian DAP stocks to build to about 1.3mn t by the end of the fertilizer year in March, but lower production and imports have put a ceiling to stock building, according to provisional data. DAP reserves began this month at 1.29mn t, with provisional offtake, production and import data suggesting a stock drawdown — production plus imports minus sales — of 12,000t on the month. Provisional March DAP offtake totalled 280,000t, bringing offtake this quarter to 978,000t, well below the 1.4mn t/yr average in 2021-24. In the fertilizer year spanning April 2024-March 2025, national offtake totalled 9.3mn t, compared with 10.8mn t in the previous year. A lack of DAP availability across parts of India, spurred by low imports and domestic production, has supported interest in NPKs. Domestic DAP output in March totalled 118,000t, reaching 3.76mn t in April 2024-March 2025. This is below the 4.2mn t/yr average in April 2020-March 2024. And March DAP imports totalled 150,000t, with 4.7mn t imported over April 2024-March 2025, line-up data show. This is well below the 5.6mn t/yr average in April 2020-March 2024. DAP importers and producers using phosphoric acid faced negative margins in most of the fertilizer year, given the maximum retail price, nutrient-based subsidy, exchange rates and market cfr prices for DAP and raw materials. This drove private-sector importers out of the market and encouraged producers using imported phosphoric acid to focus their output on NPKs, which gave better margins. Importers appear to have been dissuaded by high international DAP cfr prices in particular. The Indian DAP assessment peaked in October — during the high buying season — at $643/t cfr on a midpoint basis, remaining below $600/t cfr a year before. And prices were prevented from slipping in the off-season, supported by the absence of Chinese DAP exports and Ethiopia's switch to DAP imports from NPS. The assessed range has firmed in recent weeks, with Saudi Arabian producer Ma'aden selling 50,000t of DAP to an Indian importer in the high $640s/t cfr for loading in early April . DAP offers are now as high as $660/t cfr. DAP stocks are now well below a comfortable 2mn t, and India will have to keep building reserves in its off-season before farmers' demand picks up around the middle of the year. The Indian government at the end of March raised the nutrient-based subsidy for phosphates for the kharif season by 42pc. At current market prices, DAP importers' margins will remain negative. The government will probably continue to compensate importers for losses on DAP, but there is no indication that Indian DAP producers will receive compensation for losses. By Adrien Seewald Indian DAP stocks and sales '000t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Most US ferts imports to be tariffed, potash exempt
Most US ferts imports to be tariffed, potash exempt
London, 3 April (Argus) — Nearly every country that sends fertilizer products to the US will be hit with fresh import duties after President Donald Trump yesterday announced reciprocal tariff policies that are likely to increase nutrient prices in the US. According to the White House administration, a baseline 10pc tariff will be imposed on all goods from all countries imported into the US excluding those compliant with the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Non-compliant Canadian and Mexican goods will continue to be charged at a 25pc rate, although potash that is deemed to be non-compliant will pay a reduced rate of 10pc. Imports of goods from other nations will begin paying the baseline 10pc rate on 5 April, while roughly 60 countries were given more specific reciprocal tariff rates based on the rates those countries have placed on US goods. The US imports a significant amount of fertilizer products from other countries to supplement limited domestic production capabilities. Non-North American countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Tunisia, Australia and Trinidad and Tobago are well known names in the fertilizer market as major producers that ship a large amount of product to the US. Under the new sweeping tariff policy Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago and Australia can expect a 10pc duty on all imports sent to the US, while Israel can expect a 17pc duty and Jordan will face a 20pc duty. A 28pc tariff will be applied to imports from Tunisia. Russia is also a major supplier of fertilizers to the US and a reciprocal tariff does not apply to the country. But there is uncertainty as to whether Russia is exempt from the universal 10pc rate applied to other countries. Phosphates Countervailing duties largely blocking Russian and Moroccan phosphates have enabled Saudi Arabia to grow its share of US DAP/MAP imports to 45pc in 2024, according to GTT data. They also opened the door to non-traditional suppliers including Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia, which together accounted for 21pc of US DAP/MAP imports last year. Australia has been a regular supplier to the US, averaging 9pc of imports over the past five years — although this fell to 4pc in 2024. The base 10pc tariff applied to Morocco will add to the countervailing duties in place and act as more of a deterrent. Still, customs data show that 10pc of DAP/MAP imports came from Morocco last year. Mexico supplied 318,000t of DAP/MAP to the US last year, accounting for 14pc of total imports. But the 25pc tariff imposed a month ago will probably stifle this trade flow. MAP barge prices in the US are currently equivalent to the mid-$660s/t cfr Nola. Latest MAP sales to Brazil were at $660/t cfr but indications are now reaching $680/t cfr. After these latest tariffs come into effect on 5 April, US buyers will have to pay more to secure phosphate supply, otherwise cargoes will be drawn to more attractive markets, such as Latin America. Potassium-based products, phos rock escape tariffs The White House also confirmed in an annex that some goods will be exempt from these latest tariffs including certain critical minerals. Goods that will be spared include a number of potassium-based fertilizer products — MOP, SOP, NOP, NPK and magnesium sulphate. Trump last month included potash in the administration's list of American critical minerals, and ordered the US government to fast-track permit reviews for critical minerals projects . The majority of the US' MOP supply is imported, with 98pc/yr coming from other countries, and 85pc of that from Canada, according to TFI data. The US typically imports 11mn-13mn t/yr of MOP, although GTT data show that the US imported close to 14mn t of MOP in 2024. USMCA still effective Tariffs on North American countries Mexico and Canada will continue within the status quo of an executive order issued in early March. All products covered under the USMCA free trade agreement will continue to be imported into the US without tariffs. USMCA compliant products include wholly created goods in Mexico or Canada, such as sulphur, MOP, ammonia and other nitrogen fertilizers, but goods produced with inputs that come from other countries, such as phosphate fertilizers manufactured in Mexico, are at greater risk of being tariffed, depending on how rules of origin outlined in the USMCA are enforced. Phosphate fertilizers produced in Mexico use imported phosphate rock as well as some imported ammonia, while the same products manufactured in Canada, for example, use domestically produced rock. The US fertilizer market is currently barrelling towards the final weeks of the spring application season, where nutrients are put into the ground as crop planting continues. Therefore most fertilizer purchasing for the spring has now taken place. But with the new tariffs applying to the majority of nutrient imports into the US, domestic prices and barge trade activity could accelerate above the norm as the market scurries to secure product before prices move to even more unfavourable levels. By Taylor Zavala, Julia Campbell and Tom Hampson New US import tariffs Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Indian government considers raising DAP subsidy
Indian government considers raising DAP subsidy
London, 27 March (Argus) — The Indian government is considering raising the nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) for DAP by around 6,000 rupees/t to around Rs27,911/t for the March-September kharif season. The special additional subsidy of Rs3,500/t for DAP, bringing the current subsidy to Rs25,411/t, is likely to be extended into the kharif season. The special subsidy was initially due to end by 1 April . This would bring the total subsidy for DAP to around Rs31,411/t from Rs25,411/t in the October 2024-March 2025 rabi season. The Inter-Ministerial Committee had proposed raising the NBS for DAP by Rs5,980.60/t last month. The government will still cover losses to importers, but there is no indication that losses will be made up for producers. The maximum retail price (MRP) for DAP is likely to remain at Rs27,000/t. The disparity between the NBS and MRP in India, and a bullish global market, have made DAP receipts unaffordable for Indian importers. Argus ' latest daily DAP assessment stands at $648-650/t cfr India, or $80/t higher than the midpoint of the 28 March 2024 assessment. Firm phosphoric acid and sulphur prices are lifting costs for domestic producers. Jordanian producer JPMC and Indian importer CIL have agreed a second-quarter phosphoric acid price of $1,153/t P2O5 cfr India, up by $98/t P2O5 from the first quarter. And Indian sulphur import prices are up by $91/t at the midpoint from the start of this year. But a drop of $102.50/t at the midpoint in ammonia cfr prices gives Indian producers some relief. By Adrien Seewald Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
CIL/JPMC settle Indian phosacid $98/t P2O5 higher
CIL/JPMC settle Indian phosacid $98/t P2O5 higher
London, 26 March (Argus) — Indian fertilizer producer and importer Coromandel and Jordanian phosphates producer JPMC have agreed a second-quarter phosphoric acid price of $1,153/t P2O5 cfr India with 30 days of credit. The price is up by $98/t P2O5 from the first-quarter price of $1,055/t P2O5 cfr India. The price rise is driven by firming sentiment for DAP import prices in India — because of tight global supply and persistent demand — as well as rising sulphur costs and lower ammonia prices. By Tom Hampson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Argus Fertilizer Market Highlights
The complimentary Argus Fertilizer Market Highlights package includes:
• Bi-weekly Fertilizer Newsletter
• Monthly Market Update Video
• Bi-monthly Fertilizer Focus Magazine
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Explore our phosphate products
Region and country focused market intelligence
Key price assessments
Argus prices are recognised by the market as trusted and reliable indicators of the real market value. Explore some of our most widely used and relevant price assessments.
