Rabat – The US is seeking to secure fertilizer supply, including from Morocco, amid the ongoing war with Iran.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett hinted at the move in his remarks to CNBC earlier today.
“We’ve… established licenses for Venezuela to produce more fertilizer. We’ve had discussions with Morocco,” he said.
He acknowledged that this plan is part of Washington’s insurance policy against disruption for farmers.
“I’m not saying that we can eliminate what disruption there is so far, but we can minimize it,” Hassett argued.
The remarks come amid the ravaging and escalating war between Iran, Israel, and the US, which is affecting the global market supply for fuel and fertilizers.
Experts and analysts warn that the war is severely disrupting fertilizer markets and endangering food security for many countries, particularly developing countries.
Morocco is a global powerhouse in fertilizer production, holding roughly 70% of the world’s phosphate reserves. This positions the North African kingdom among the top five global exporters.
The state-owned OCP Group manages the fertilizer sector in Morocco.
Hassett’s remarks arrive weeks after the US agreed to dismiss an appeal against the Moroccan fertilizer giant.
The decision came as alarm-sounding American farmers pleaded with the federal government and state authorities to take action to mitigate the global crisis of fertilizer shortages in the midst of an expanding war in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Hassett’s comments also come in the wake of a critical legal case dating back to 2021, when the US Department of Commerce imposed a 19.9% countervailing duty on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco.
Argus Media on Monday reported that OCP also sold 90,000 tonnes of phosphate fertilizers to Latin American markets for April shipment as the Middle East war shows no signs of de-escalation.
Analysts have notably attributed the disruption of global supply chains to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with Iran threatening to attack ships passing through the strait, a key passage for fertilizer and oil shipments.
India’s government also announced it had secured fertilizers from Morocco.
OCP reported last month strong financial results for 2025, with revenues rising by 17% to reach $11.4 billion.