US Pulls Plug on Fertilizer Trade War as Food Inflation Bites

  • Ruling from trade commission a surprise, analyst says
  • Shares of CF Industries slide following US ITC decision

A tanker ship, carrying liquid fertilizer, sails into the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas.

Photographer: Eddie Seal
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The US has put a simmering trade spat over fertilizer imports on ice.

The US International Trade Commission ruled Monday it will not impose tariffs on Russian and Trinidadian imports of urea ammonium nitrate, which is used in liquid fertilizers. The decision came as a surprise as the Commerce Department said earlier this year that tariffs are neededBloomberg Terminal as Russian and Trinidadian imports are sold at less than fair value in the US.