Brazil imported a record volume of SSP in August and in the first eight-months of 2025 because higher prices and limited availability of high-content P2O5 phosphate-based fertilizers led farmers to seek for more affordable alternatives.
Brazil imported 2.5mn metric tonnes (t) of SSP in January-August, a 23pc increase from the same period in 2024, Global Trade Tracker (GTT)'s latest data show.
SSP became the main phosphate-based fertilizer imported by Brazil, outpacing MAP 11-52 imports.
Brazilian buyers turned to lower P2O5 content fertilizers such as SSP because other fertilizer prices, including MAP 11-52 and 46pc P2O5 TSP, rose to levels above farmers' expectations, reducing the demand. Low availability of high-content P2O5 phosphate-based fertilizers also led farmers to seek alternatives to supply their P2O5 needs to plant the 2025-26 soybean crop, which starts planting in September.
Brazil imported around 418,155t of SSP in August, a 47pc increase from the previous year and a record for the month.
Egypt was the main supplier in January-Augut, accounting for 53pc of the total imports.
Volumes from China reached 25pc of the total. Imports from China can also include mineral complex volumes, a fertilizer similar to SSP but less soluble in water and containing other micronutrients.
Israel sent 11pc of the volume.
TSP imports up in January-August
Brazil's TSP imports reached 1.4mn t in January-August, a 31pc increase from a year before and a record for the period.
Morocco was the main supplier in the period, accounting for 71pc of the total. Egypt delivered 8pc, while China accounted for 7pc.
Imports in August tapped 271,690t, virtually in line with volumes in the same month in 2024.
There is no available product in the import market, according to market participants. That is reducing the liquidity for the fertilizer.
Morocco delivered 52pc of August volumes, followed by China, with 18pc, and Lebanon, with 10pc.
August MAP lowest since 2015
Brazil's MAP imports fell by 55pc in August from a year before to around 255,545t, the lowest level for the month since 2015.
Saudi Arabia was the main supplier in the month, sending 38pc of total imports. Russia accounted for 36pc and Morocco totaled 22pc.
Brazil imported 2.4mn t of MAP in January-August, a 17pc drop from the same period in 2024 and the lowest since 2018.
Russia was the main origin of the fertilizer in the eight-month period, accounting for 45pc of imports. Morocco and Saudi Arabia followed, with around 26pc and 22pc, respectively.
Record NP imports
Brazil's NP imports reached a record 760,910t in August, almost doubling volumes for the same month in 2024.
China delivered nearly 75pc of the total in the month, followed by the US' 10pc share and Morocco, with 9pc of the volume.
Brazilian imports reached around 2.6mn t in January-August, a near 68pc increase from the same span in 2024 and also a record for the period. China delivered 60pc of the total in the period, followed by the US with around 23pc.
Farmers focused on NP such as 08-40, 11-44 and 10-45 as an alternative for fertilizers with high P2O5 content, as availability of MAP and TSP was tight this year and prices were at levels above what buyers were willing to pay.
With the 2025-26 soybean planting season approaching — set to start in September — sellers reduced prices for volumes en route to Brazil and available for negotiations. Buyers kept purchasing NPs as the source for final needs of P2O5 because of lower prices.
