US fertilizer domestic production 2026 became the centerpiece of a high-profile administration push on April 28, when Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins addressed reporters at USDA flanked by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. Rollins said that as a result of recent policy announcements, domestic nitrogen production could grow by more than 30 percent, phosphate production by over 200 percent, and potash production by more than 100 percent within just two years. She called the dependence on Russia and China for fertilizer inputs a national security crisis and said the administration will not rest until the problem is solved.
“We continue to be laser-focused and will not rest until this problem is solved,” Rollins said. The multi-agency gathering signals that the administration is treating the fertilizer issue as a whole-of-government emergency — not just an agricultural market problem. It follows a week in which Rollins teased the announcement publicly at the Senate Appropriations hearing, on social media, and at a Missouri farm event. Urea prices have more than doubled since mid-December. Diammonium phosphate is up nearly 20 percent over the same period, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
US fertilizer domestic production 2026 plan includes weighing removal of duties on Moroccan and Russian phosphate
One of the more significant policy signals to emerge from the April 28 event was Rollins’ confirmation that the administration is weighing whether to lift countervailing duties currently applied to phosphate fertilizer imports from Morocco and Russia. She acknowledged that there are “varying views” within the administration on what officials could or should do, signaling an internal debate has not been fully resolved. Lifting those duties could accelerate domestic availability of phosphate in the near term, but would face opposition from domestic producers who have benefited from the import protection. The U.S. currently sources the bulk of its potash from Canada, and Rollins noted that potash supply chains are unlikely to face major disruption as long as the North American trading relationship remains stable.
The administration has already taken preliminary steps — easing Jones Act shipping requirements for fertilizer vessels moving between U.S. ports and loosening restrictions on Venezuelan fertilizer imports. Neither measure produced a significant price reduction. Rollins also confirmed that USDA is working with the Department of Justice to monitor fertilizer markets for potential price gouging, and that she met recently with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on that topic. For the farm-level cost data behind the urgency, Agroinformacion covered DTN’s April retail fertilizer survey showing urea at $858/ton — 49% above last year — and anhydrous at $1,114/ton.
Analyst warns domestic production growth alone may not lower prices without more competition
Not everyone is convinced that output numbers translate directly into price relief. StoneX Vice President of Fertilizer Josh Linville told Agri-Pulse that for nitrogen, a handful of domestic producers already hold the bulk of market share. Adding capacity without adding competitors may simply allow existing players to capture margin gains rather than passing them to farmers. On phosphate, Linville raised a different concern: U.S. phosphate rock reserves are finite. “Increasing production rates on a limited input like phosphate rock just means we as a nation run out of it sooner,” he said. Alleviating price pressures will mean boosting competition alongside expanding production — two goals that do not automatically come together. On potash, Linville said doubling existing domestic output is “not that big of an increase” in absolute terms given the relatively small base, and that potash supply is unlikely to be a major problem as long as Canada remains a stable trade partner. The original reporting was published by Agri-Pulse on April 28, 2026.