Earlier this week, US lawmaker and Iowa Attorney General, Tom Miller, joined farmers’ unions in calling the White House to waive tariffs on Moroccan fertilizers.
Miller called on President Biden’s administration to intervene to suspend tariffs on imported fertilizers to counter the effect of soaring fertilizers prices on American farmers.
In a joint statement with the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Soybean Association, and the National Corn Growers Association, Miller calls for either reducing or suspending tariffs on Moroccan-made fertilizers, according to multiple report.
The US International Trade Commission, the country’s foreign trade watchdog, slapped 20% import fees on OCP fertilizers in 2021 following a lawsuit by American producer Mosaic.
Mosaic had argued that OCP benefits from state subsidies, making their products unfairly price competitive.
Arguing his case, Miller referred to a recent study he commissioned from the Iowa State University. Assessing the global fertilizer market, the study notably concluded that while many factors contributed to the recent rise in the price of crops, rising fertilizers prices are the primary reason as the average price of fertilizers has quadrupled since September 2020.
Fertilizer prices continued to climb, reaching new heights due to the war in Ukraine — the sanctions against Russia led to reduced gas and ammonia supplies, key ingredients in the manufacturing of fertilizers. “It’s critical that the President act as soon as possible, as growers begin purchasing fertilizer in preparation for the 2023 growing season,” Miller said in the joint statement with farmers’ unions. “These farmers have already suffered enough.”
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Last week, evidence surfaced suggesting that Mosaic had carried out a three-year lobbying crusade against OCP Group to gain a full monopoly over the US fertilizers market.
Leaked Emails obtained by the investigative website American Oversight indicated that the decision to raise tariffs against OCP fertilizers dates back to 2017 and was first thought of by Mosaic’s lobbyists.
SOURCE: Morocco news