Rep. Pat Fallon (R., Texas) and almost 40 of his House GOP colleagues want the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to help American farmers overcome a fertilizer shortage that they blame in part on a Biden-era policy.
Fallon and his fellow lawmakers want the USITC “to revoke the current countervailing duty (CVD) on phosphate fertilizer imported from Morocco which was issued by the ITC on March 11, 2021,” according to a letter they wrote to USITC Chair Amy Karpel.
“American farmers are experiencing high costs and supply chain challenges for fertilizer inputs as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to impact phosphate exports, restricting the availability of phosphate in the U.S. market,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter obtained exclusively by the Washington Reporter. “As Members of Congress, we urge the ITC to consider the lasting impacts on family farms and the strain on the agricultural industry if these CVDs are to stay in place for a longer term as it has only put further stress on our farming communities as a time when they are suffering extraordinary challenges.”
“The U.S. International Trade Commission should immediately reconsider the countervailing duties, put in place by the Biden Administration, on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco,” Fallon told the Reporter. “Our corn, soybean, and wheat growers depend on affordable fertilizer to grow healthy, high-yielding crops, but these duties have cost American farmers billions since being implemented in 2021. This burdensome policy hurts the very individuals who feed our nation. It is time we put our farmers first and get this reversed.”
At a time when Republicans in Congress and in the White House are increasingly concerned about affordability, the legislators explained to Karpel that “fertilizer availability continues to tighten, and fertilizer prices continue to increase, putting increasing pressure on U.S. farmers. Continuing the current CVD will only increase operating costs for farmers of one of their most critical inputs and will no doubt result in higher risks and costs to American farmers, and the American families they feed.”
“The negative impacts of these duties are clear. According to a recent analysis conducted by the Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC) at Texas A&M University, it was found that the current CVD has increased the cost of phosphate fertilizers for U.S. farmers by an estimated $6.9 billion for the 2021 through 2025 growing seasons,” they added. “This confirms what farm groups and lawmakers have been raising concern over to the ITC for the last four years — that these CVDs do more harm than good for our agricultural industry and national security.”
Joining Fallon in signing the letter to the USITC are Reps. Pete Sessions (R., Texas), Troy Nehls (R., Texas), Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas), Michele Fischbach (R., Minn.), August Pfluger (R., Texas), Ronny Jackson (R., Texas), Mike Bost (R., Ill.), Sam Graves (R., Mo.), Tony Wied (R., Wis.), Ashley Hinson (R., Iowa), Zach Nunn (R., Iowa), Ann Wagner (R., Mo.), John Rose (R., Tenn.), Austin Scott (R., Ga.), Mike Ezell (R., Miss.), Darin LaHood (R., Ill.), Randy Feenstra (R., Iowa), Don Bacon (R., Neb.), Brad Finstad (R., Minn.), Mark Alford (R., Mo.), Julie Fedorchak (R., N.D.), Dusty Johnson (R., S.D.), Mike Flood (R., Neb.), Tracey Mann (R., Kansas), Adrian Smith (R., Neb.), Randy Weber (R., Texas), Dan Newhouse (R., Wash.), Jim Baird (R., Ind.), Mary Miller (R., Ill.), Kevin Hern (R., Okla.), and Craig Goldman (R., Texas).