China extends phosphate export curbs through August 2026 as Russia holds fertilizer quotas

China has extended restrictions on exports of key phosphate fertilizers at least through August 2026, while Russia continues to enforce quantitative limits on outbound fertilizer shipments, creating overlapping supply constraints for import-dependent buyers worldwide.

The China phosphate export restrictions cover DAP, MAP and certain NPK formulations, with ammonium sulfate remaining relatively less restricted. Beijing first imposed export curbs in mid-March 2026 to protect domestic supply after the Strait of Hormuz crisis disrupted global trade. Between 50% and 80% of China’s fertilizer export volumes are now restricted, according to Reuters analysis of Chinese customs data. Russia’s quota system, operating through the Eurasian Economic Union framework, similarly limits available spot volumes of nitrogen and phosphate products.

The combined effect is reshaping global fertilizer trade flows. Import-dependent regions including India, Brazil, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are being forced to source more product from alternative suppliers such as Morocco’s OCP, North American producers and Middle Eastern exporters — often at higher freight and product costs. China supplied roughly one-fifth of fertilizer imports for Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand last year, rising to one-third for Malaysia and New Zealand, according to International Trade Centre data.

Source: Commodity Board