1. Phosphate, a critical mineral in the US

On November 6, the Trump administration added about ten minerals to the 2025 list of critical minerals. In addition to copper, metallurgical coal, and uranium, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) added two minerals used in agriculture: potash and phosphate. This list brings together minerals deemed essential to national security, economic stability, and supply-chain resilience, according to a notice from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). From now on, phosphate is considered vital to the American economy.

2. For agricultural sovereignty

The addition of these fertilizers was welcomed by several U.S. representatives. Seven months earlier, a letter signed by more than sixty elected officials, mainly Republicans, called on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about the need to add potash and phosphate to this crucial list. They emphasized their importance for the country’s food security and for American farmers, “given recent global events that have affected the fertilizer market and highlighted the risks of disruptions”, the letter reads.

The lawmakers notably pointed to the fundamental role of Russia and China in the industry, responsible for 25% and 14% of global phosphate exports respectively, and to their export controls, which make the market “vulnerable” without mentioning Morocco. The representatives recommended strengthening domestic fertilizer production in order to “stabilize and secure this essential supply chain”. Listing phosphate and potash on this list will guide government strategies to secure the country’s supply chains.

3. An impact for OCP?

All welcome this move in favor of agricultural and food sovereignty. But can Americans feed themselves without Moroccan fertilizers? Asked by TelQuel, the OCP group confirms that this “opens the way for increased federal support for American domestic production.” However, the group states that “Morocco remains a strategic, reliable and trusted partner for the security of the global phosphate supply” and says it is “fully committed” to “actively contributing to the food security of the United States through a reliable, high-quality supply of essential nutrients.”

For its part, the outlet Le Desk mentions a structural dependence of the American market on Moroccan phosphate, citing mines that are “aging and subject to heavy environmental constraints, which no longer suffice to meet domestic demand.” Instead of limiting trade, considering phosphate a critical mineral would rather “favor exchanges with partner nations rather than with competing powers such as China or Russia,” Le Desk argues.

4. Morocco, a U.S. ally

This listing would allow Washington to reduce its dependence on competing powers and to strengthen its relations with allied countries, such as Morocco. Le Desk explains that this recent classification would serve more to “manage within a clear strategic framework” rather than to break dependence on the kingdom. Morocco, holding more than 70% of the world’s phosphate reserves, is seen as a “stable, politically aligned and industrially mature partner” by the United States, Le Desk writes, while mentioning the opportunity for new cooperation between the two countries.

5. Mosaic vs. OCP

This new list could change the relations — currently conflictual — that Americans and Moroccans maintain on this issue. In 2020, OCP’s American competitor, Mosaic, accused it, as well as other foreign actors such as the Russian PhosAgro, of unfair competition. In a double petition filed in 2020 with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), the American company stated that OCP was “unjustly subsidized” by the Moroccan state, and that the arrival in the United States of its fertilizers, as well as those of PhosAgro, would be “damaging” due to the “large volumes.”

6. An unresolved dispute

A few months after Mosaic’s complaint, in November 2020, the DoC announced the imposition of countervailing duties on Moroccan and Russian phosphates. These taxes then amounted to 23.46%. The percentages then fluctuated like a yo-yo, ranging from 2.12% to 19.97% before finally being set at 16.60% in December 2024. But after two reviews by the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT), the USITC has remained firm in its position regarding the countervailing duties. At the end of July 2025, OCP said it regretted this decision and is awaiting its review by the CIT in order to file appeals against these taxes with the latter.

Written in French by Salomé Krumenacher, edited in English by Eric Nielson.