US finds subsidies on Moroccan phosphate fertilizers would likely continue if its duty order ended

The US duty order on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco stays in place for now. The US Department of Commerce has found that ending it would likely bring subsidies back.

This is the first full sunset review of the countervailing duty order. A sunset review checks every five years whether a duty order is still needed. The order was published on 7 April 2021.

Commerce put the likely subsidy rate at 20.04% for OCP S.A. The same rate applies to all other Moroccan producers. This is the rate likely if the order ended. It is not necessarily what importers pay at the border today.

The notice is dated 28 October 2026. It applies from its publication in the Federal Register, listed as 3 November 2026.

The finding sets no new duty. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) is running its own full review of whether ending the order would harm US producers. The ITC has set a hearing for 1 April 2027.

This matters for US importers of Moroccan phosphate fertilizers and for OCP and other Moroccan exporters. US producers such as Mosaic and J.R. Simplot took part in the review.

The order's future depends on the ITC's decision. The notice does not set a date for that.

What to check

• Do you import phosphate fertilizers from Morocco into the US?
• What cash deposit rate applies to your entries today?
• Watch for the ITC hearing on 1 April 2027.