OCP phosphate cargoes head for US ports after Trump suspends tariffs

US President Donald Trump suspended antidumping and countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate fertiliser for eight months in a proclamation dated 29 June 2026, clearing the way for OCP Group to resume shipments to American ports. The order invoked Section 318 of the Tariff Act of 1930, treating adequate phosphate fertiliser supply as critical to addressing an agricultural emergency.

Dismantling years of tariffs

The suspension unwinds duties first imposed on Moroccan phosphate fertiliser in 2021, which had reached 19.97% before being reduced to 2.11% in December 2025. Unlike the earlier reduction, the new suspension is time-bound but not volume-bound, meaning OCP and other Moroccan exporters can ship unlimited tonnage to the US during the eight-month window.

Ships already moving

USDA deputy secretary Stephen Vaden said vessels carrying Moroccan phosphate fertiliser were expected to reach the Port of New Orleans within days of the announcement. "Those price effects should begin to filter through when the ships hit New Orleans," Vaden said, adding that US retailers stockpiling the lower-priced supply ahead of the autumn fertiliser season could do so under the suspension.

A big number for American farmers

The USDA estimated the suspension could reduce phosphate fertiliser costs by up to 22%, generating roughly $1.82bn in annual savings for about 100,000 American farmers who rely on imported phosphate to grow crops. For OCP, regaining unrestricted access to the world's largest agricultural market represents a significant commercial win after years of tariff-constrained trade.

Why it matters for Morocco

OCP controls an estimated 70% of the world's known phosphate rock reserves and has been investing heavily to expand fertiliser production capacity toward a target of 20-million tonnes annually by the end of 2027. Restored US market access adds a substantial new outlet for that expanding capacity, reinforcing Morocco's position as the indispensable supplier underpinning global food security through phosphate fertiliser.

For Moroccan exporters more broadly, the episode is a reminder of how quickly trade policy in a single large market can reshape global fertiliser flows, even for a supplier as dominant as OCP.

For Moroccan exporters more broadly, the episode is a reminder of how quickly trade policy decisions in a single large market can reshape global fertiliser flows, even for a supplier as structurally dominant as OCP.

Sources

• Morocco World News: Morocco's OCP Phosphate Ships Could Head to US 'Within Days,' USDA Confirms, 18 Jul 2026

Photo: A dragline excavator at an OCP phosphate mining operation in Benguerir, Morocco. Solox44, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.