Middle East conflict hampers fertilizer transport, American farmers face additional challenges

The prolonged Middle East conflict has affected the transportation of fertilizers, thus impacting the international market supply of fertilizers. As the planting season approaches, the rise in domestic fertilizer prices in the United States seems to be a certainty, adding to the woes of American farmers already hit by the Trump administration's tariff policies and low agricultural prices. Agence France-Presse cited data from market service agency Kepler on the 10th, reporting that about 33% of global fertilizer transportation passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but currently this important shipping route is facing increased shipping risks. Veronica Nye, chief economist at the Fertilizer Institute, said that about 35% of fertilizers in the United States rely on imports, including phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers from the Middle East. During the week of February 27 to March 6, the price of urea, one of the nitrogen fertilizers, rose by nearly 30%. Jackie Holland, an economist at the American Soybean Association, said that most American farmers should have purchased most of the fertilizers they need for the year in advance, "but due to the persistent high prices, many merchants are waiting until the last minute to place orders this year".