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Mann, Marshall lead letter asking administration to lift fertilizer tariffs

Nearly 30 members of Congress have asked President Biden to relax import duties on fertilizer imported from other countries.

Congressman Tracy Mann of Kansas tells Brownfield farmers need immediate relief. “In this time of skyrocketing inflation especially in fertilizer, there’s no reason we don’t help ourselves and eliminate or suspend these tariffs.”

Mann along with Kansas Senator Roger Marshall recently sent the letter asking the administration to waive duties on phosphate imports from Morocco and UAN imports from Trinidad and Tobago.

He says some producers have changed their crop rotations because of record prices. “Although we have very high commodity prices right now, it’s all about the margins and what you can take home.  You can’t have input costs where they are and expect our ag producers to be profitable.”  

The letter says fertilizer is critical to national security and defense and affordability helps strengthen the global food supply.

Also signing the letter were Senators Chuck Grassley (IA), Jerry Moran (KS), Joni Ernst (IA), and Deb Fischer (NE), and Representatives Ann Wagner (MO), Bob Gibbs (OH), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO), Don Bacon (NE), Randy Feenstra (IA), Mary Miller (IL), Rick Crawford (AR), Sam Graves (MO) and Vicky Hartzler (MO).

On Monday, the U.S. International Trade Commission rejected a request by CF Industries to apply additional tariffs on UAE imports from Russia, Trinidad and Tobago.