The organization that represents U.S. fertilizer producers, wholesalers, and retailers is calling on the Trump administration to exempt Canadian fertilizer products from the tariffs set to take effect on Feb. 4.
“The Fertilizer Institute stands ready to collaborate with the Trump Administration to spur growth in the fertilizer industry, support U.S. agriculture, and ensure affordable food prices for everyday Americans,” says Corey Rosenbusch, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), in a statement issued Feb. 2.
“However, given their effects on the broader farm economy, TFI urges the Trump administration to exempt Canadian potash and other fertilizers from the tariff order, especially as we approach the critical time of spring planting where nutrient delivery and application are essential for the harvests that fill American’s dinner tables with abundant and affordable food.”
Over 95 per cent of the potash used by American farmers is imported, with 90 per cent of that coming from Canada, notes Rosenbusch.
“While the U.S. produced roughly 400,000 metric tons of potash in 2023, domestic potash consumption that year was approximately 5.3 million metric tons. No substitutes exist for potash as an essential plant nutrient,” he explains.
Canada’s nitrogen fertilizer exports to the U.S. have received less attention, but Canada also supplies approximately a quarter of U.S. nitrogen fertilizer imports, or more than 8 per cent of American nitrogen fertilizer needs.
“U.S. agriculture is benefited by a strong trade relationship with Canada that provides farmers with reliable access to essential crop nutrients. An open, fair, predictable, and transparent trading environment is vital to the continued growth of a resilient, competitive, and sustainable fertilizer industry for our farmer customers,” says Rosenbusch. “Any disruption to the intertwined and mutually beneficial cross-border fertilizer trade between the U.S. and Canada will have significant ripple effects, not just for farmers but for the broader food supply chain and ultimately the prices consumers pay at the grocery store.”
President Trump signed an executive order on Saturday that applies 25 per cent tariffs across-the-board to Canadian imports as of Feb. 4, with a lower 10 per cent carve-out for energy products.
The Canadian government subsequently announced retaliatory tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. imports as of Feb. 4, with plans to impose tariffs on another $125 billion in imports in about three weeks time. Some Canadian politicians have also suggested the possibility of restricting or taxing key exports, such as oil and potash fertilizer.