The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) determined, Thursday, that the United States is «materially injured by reason of imports of phosphate fertilizers» from Morocco and Russia. In a press release published on its website, the federal agency provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches in the United States announced that the US Department of Commerce «will issue countervailing duty orders on imports of phosphate fertilizers from Morocco and Russia». The decision comes after the US Department of Commerce launched an investigation in 2020 to determine if procedure in these countries were receiving unfair subsidies. Said investigation was opened after US producer of concentrated phosphate and potash Mosaic filed petitions in June 2020. «Today's decision upholds our belief that fair trade is the cornerstone of a healthy U.S. economy, and that American farmers will benefit from having a more competitive American fertilizer industry», a Mosaic news release said, as quoted by Progressive Farmer. On the other hand rejected the decision in a press release issued Thursday. «This decision comes despite the arguments presented by the OCP group demonstrating that there is no basis for such duties, as well as significant voices opposed to Mosaic's petition from across American agriculture -- distributors, associations and cooperatives -- and elected officials in the Senate and House of Representatives», OCP said. For the record, OCP had announced before that it could consider stopping fertilizer sales in the United States if the country's Commerce Department imposes an anti-subsidy duty on its imports.
