Key Takeaways
- USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins has launched the $500 million FIELDS (Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply) Program, administered through USDA Rural Development to expand domestic fertilizer manufacturing.
- Individual FIELDS awards will range from $15 million to $150 million, prioritizing shovel-ready, financially viable projects that increase production of nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulfur, and other critical crop nutrients.
- Separately, President Trump signed a proclamation declaring a national emergency over fertilizer supply availability, permitting duty-free importation of phosphate fertilizers from Morocco for up to 8 months.
- The proclamation cites disruption to the United States' largest foreign source of phosphate fertilizer and notes that domestic phosphate production is currently insufficient to meet demand after accounting for exports.
- Both actions are part of a broader administration fertilizer strategy that has also included suspending countervailing duties on phosphate imports and designating phosphate and potash as critical minerals.
USDA Launches $500 Million FIELDS Program for Domestic Fertilizer Manufacturing
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has announced the launch of the FIELDS (Fertilizer Investment & Expansion for Long-Term Domestic Supply) Program, a $500 million initiative administered through USDA Rural Development aimed at expanding domestic fertilizer manufacturing and improving long-term affordability for farmers. Utilizing Commodity Credit Corporation authorities, USDA will make the funding available to support the construction and expansion of domestic fertilizer production facilities, prioritizing projects that are shovel-ready and financially viable.
The program, administered by USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Service, will support projects expanding domestic production of nitrogen, phosphate, potash, sulfur, and other critical crop nutrients. Individual awards will range from $15 million to $150 million. FIELDS builds on USDA's review of more than 120 fertilizer projects, developed in consultation with project developers, lenders, farmers, and federal partners to identify barriers to construction and financing.
“Under President Trump's leadership, USDA is rebuilding America's fertilizer manufacturing base, strengthening supply chains, and ensuring our producers have reliable and affordable access to the fertilizer they need to remain competitive. The Trump Administration's FIELDS program is solely focused on producing fertilizer leading to lower costs for American farmers and consumers, as well as restoring a critical supply chain for our country. Farm security is national security,” said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins.
EPA and Energy Department Support the Initiative
“American natural resource extraction is the safest and most environmentally friendly in the world. It makes zero sense to import fertilizer from foreign competitors when we can make it right here while fueling our economy and protecting human health and the environment. The Trump EPA stands ready to help rebuild this vital arm of American manufacturing while ensuring each facility adheres to the strict environmental standards required by law,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
Presidential Proclamation Permits Duty-Free Phosphate Imports From Morocco
Separately, President Trump signed a proclamation declaring a national emergency with respect to threats to the availability of sufficient fertilizer supplies for the current agricultural season. The proclamation states that global supply chains for phosphate fertilizer have been disrupted in recent months, including disruption at the United States' largest foreign source of phosphate fertilizer, and notes that domestic phosphate production is currently insufficient to meet demand after accounting for exports.
Invoking Section 318 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the proclamation directs the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce to permit, for up to 8 months, the duty-free importation of phosphate fertilizers from the Kingdom of Morocco, which the proclamation identifies as a producer capable of supplying phosphate fertilizers to the United States without disruption. The proclamation frames robust and reliable food production as critical to U.S. economic and national security, noting that farmers apply more than half of annually consumed phosphate fertilizer between fall and early spring ahead of spring planting.
Part of a Broader Fertilizer Supply Chain Strategy From The USDA
Both actions build on a series of prior steps taken by the administration, including the suspension of countervailing duties on phosphate fertilizer imports, the designation of phosphate and potash as critical minerals, a USDA-Department of Justice memorandum of understanding addressing anti-competitive practices in agricultural input markets, expanded fertilizer transportation flexibility during supply disruptions, and the creation of USDA's first dedicated Agricultural Economist focused on fertilizer markets.
“Food security is national security. A strong domestic fertilizer industry is essential to a strong agricultural economy. This investment will help ensure American farmers have access to a secure, reliable, and domestically produced fertilizer supply for generations to come,” Rollins added.
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