Brazil fertilizer imports slump 30% in September as buyers pay the highest prices since 2022

Brazil fertilizer imports kept falling in September, just as the country heads into soybean planting. Through the third week of the month, covering 13 business days, Brazil brought in an average of 137,310 metric tons a day, according to FarmNews analysis of COMEX trade data. That is 29.9% below the September 2025 daily average of 195,930 metric tons.

Month-to-date arrivals reached 1.78 million metric tons. For comparison, Brazil imported 4.33 million metric tons in all of September 2025 and a record 4.64 million metric tons in September 2024.

The slowdown extends a year-long trend. From January through August, Brazil imported 25.37 million metric tons of fertilizer, the smallest total for the period since 2023. It paid more per ton: the average import price reached USD 394.47 per metric ton, the highest for the January–August window since 2022.

The decline covers the main nutrients. Potash imports have slipped below 2025 levels, and urea purchases totaled 2.82 million metric tons through August, well behind previous years. Phosphates face their own pressure: sulfur costs have idled local MAP, SSP and TSP capacity, pushing growers to buy early where they can.

Industry projections point to total 2026 imports of 40 million to 41 million metric tons, down more than 10% from the record 45.5 million metric tons in 2025, even as planted area grows. Growers are applying inputs more selectively in response to high prices.

To hit that range, shipments in the final months of the year would need to match the late-2025 pace. That makes the October–December line-ups a key signal for global potash, urea and phosphate demand.

Source: FarmNews