☰ Menu
× Close
Sign up

ITC Rejects Fertilizer Duties – Colorado Farmers Rejoice

July 20th, 2022
Share Via

ITC Rejects Fertilizer Duties – Colorado Farmers Rejoice

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled on July 18 against CF Industries’ petition to impose tariffs on nitrogen fertilizers imported from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago.

The development comes as the National Corn Growers Association has spent months sounding the alarms in the media and raising the issue with elected officials, and corn farmers were the only commodity group to testify at the ITC’s recent hearing.

“This is welcome news for Colorado’s corn farmers, who have seen huge increases in the prices of inputs over the last two years,” said CCAC President Jeremy Fix. “We appreciate all of the work that NCGA has done on behalf of corn producers nationwide in raising the alarm on this issue. We are proud to have sponsored a study in support of their efforts.”

The Colorado Corn Administrative Committee worked with other state corn organizations to sponsor the study, released this past January by Texas A&M researchers, showing the effects of tariffs on fertilizer prices. Notably, the study showed that one type of nitrogen fertilizer, called anhydrous ammonia, increased by $688 per ton – $86,000 for a 1,000-acre farm – from the end of 2020 through the end of October 2021. The study was shared widely in the press.

ITC began considering the tariffs after CF Industries filed a petition with the commission in the summer of 2021, requesting that it place tariffs on urea ammonium nitrate, which is used in liquid fertilizers.

Shortages and prices have since increased exponentially. ITC and the U.S. Department of Commerce also agreed in 2021 to place tariffs on phosphorus fertilizers imported from Morocco.

This week’s decision by ITC reverses previous rulings and overturns Commerce’s support for tariffs. This is the final step and UAN imports can start again, effective immediately.

NCGA will continue to work to eliminate tariffs on phosphorus fertilizer imported from Morocco. ITC’s phosphate tariffs on behalf of Mosaic and J.R. Simplot are currently under appeal at the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Stay Informed

Stay informed on everything Colorado Corn