China Imposes More Fertilizer Export Controls to Protect Farmers
- Exports of urea and phosphates had already slowed this year
- Curbs have been relaxed and tightened based on circumstances
Farmers harvest spring onions at a farm in Yunnan province, China.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
China is further restricting fertilizer exports, as it seeks to contain domestic prices, cut farming costs and bolster grain security.
The curbs imposed earlier this month apply to urea, a nitrogen-based fertilizer, and phosphates, according to people familiar with the matter, who didn’t want to be named discussing a sensitive issue. In years past, China has been a key supplier of the two types, and the new restrictions risk pushing up prices of essential crop nutrients around the world.