Agadir – Morocco’s fertilizer sector is under threat as the Strait of Hormuz, an important trade route for the country’s nitrogen and phosphate feedstocks, has been blocked since the start of the US-Israel-Iran war.
Morocco’s OCP Group, which is the world’s largest exporter of phosphates, needs 3.7 million metric tons of sulfur feedstock imported annually from the Persian Gulf region.
Sulfur is an important raw material for the production of phosphatic fertilizers such as DAP and MAP. According to a March 2026 report from the NDSU Agricultural Trade Monitor, the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has stopped tanker movements and blocked the delivery of both finished fertilizers and critical raw materials, resulting in a “cascading effect” on the production of phosphatic fertilizers.
The NDSU report noted that China and Indonesia face similar challenges, yet Morocco is one of the major producers of phosphates which makes the situation more alarming.
A slowdown in the import of sulfur will not only affect the country’s own production, but also its exports, as it is an important producer of fertilizers.
Worldwide fertilizer shockwaves
NDSU emphasizes that the Hormuz Strait is one of the most important global chokepoints in terms of international fertilizer trade.
The Persian Gulf countries are responsible for 43% of global seaborne exports of urea, 44% of global seaborne exports of sulfur, and more than one-quarter of global ammonia exports.
During periods in which the Strait is closed, “major importers of fertilizer exports transiting the Strait include India, Brazil, China, and the United States. When shipments stop flowing, the effects extend across multiple regions simultaneously,” NDSU said.
Unlike previous events, such as the 2022 crisis between Russia and Ukraine, fertilizers from the Gulf cannot be diverted. The US has limited exposure to this, especially regarding ammonia, as most of that is domestically produced, although phosphates and urea are still dependent on Gulf supplies.
Other agricultural nations, like Brazil, are much more at risk, with over 80% of fertilizers being imported.
The NDSU asserts that the Hormuz crisis is different from previous events, as “the Persian Gulf is not a major grain exporter. As a result, the Hormuz disruption primarily increases fertilizer costs without producing a corresponding increase in crop prices.”
“If the closure persists, fertilizer prices could approach or exceed the peaks seen during the 2022 crisis, further pressuring farm margins,” the report added.
The current ongoing crisis hit its boiling point on February 28 when Israel and the US delivered joint strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, senior officials and reportedly over 170 schoolchildren.
Tehran has since retaliated targeting US infrastructure throughout America’s Gulf allies, alongside civilian epicenters. The overall death toll has hit over 1,400 with the majority being Iranians.
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