CHS, OCP launch venture to produce US phosphate

: Fertilizers
26/08/26

Moroccan phosphate producer OCP will work in partnership with US agribusiness CHS to build a new facility in Waggaman, Louisiana, that will produce 1.3mn metric tonnes (t)/yr of phosphate fertilizer.

The $450mn phosphate production facility will be built in the Cornerstone Energy Park alongside CF Industries' Waggaman ammonia production facility, a key input for turning phosphate rock into fertilizer.

The announcement comes just a couple months after President Donald Trump announced that countervailing duties on OCP phosphate imports will be suspended until early 2027 to relieve rising fertilizer costs for domestic growers.

The plant will be the first phosphate production facility built in the US in 42 years, though no timeline for the plant's development was revealed. Once all project-related and funding approvals are finalized, construction should take about 24 months.

The facility is expected to produce commonly used phosphate fertilizers such as DAP and MAP, according to OCP. The project will also include storage for both raw materials and finished products, as well as storage tanks for merchant-grade phosphoric acid.

By Taylor Zavala

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

News

26/08/24

Hormuz weekend traffic mixed with no deal in sight

New York, 24 August (Argus) — Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz was mixed over the weekend, rising on Saturday before falling on Sunday, while Iran and the US continue to move further away from finding a diplomatic resolution to reopen the waterway. On 22 August 34 ships passed through the waterway, while on 23 August transits dropped to 16, according to data from maritime security firm Windward. Over the past seven days, the Middle East region exported nearly 6mn b/d of crude via the US Navy blockade line to global markets, vessel information firm TankerTrackers.com said today, around a third of the pre-war average for February 2026 of 19mn b/d. The US-imposed blockade on Iranian ports is being enforced from outside the strait of Hormuz between the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Iran is looking to further tighten its grip on the strait, with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority on Monday, announcing stronger transit rules for vessels transiting the narrow waterway. Bilateral discussions between Iran and Oman on traffic through the strait will resume this week, with Omani foreign minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi scheduled to visit Tehran on Tuesday, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson told state affiliated Irna. Meanwhile, the US announced its new Operation Economic Outcast Monday, which aims to isolate Iran economically following unsuccessful attempts at using military force to make the country reopen the strait of Hormuz to pre-war commercial vessel traffic levels. US officials have claimed large flows of energy through the strait of Hormuz for weeks despite little evidence to corroborate the figures . Weekend tanker traffic Vessel traffic on 22 August hit its highest in over a month at 34 transits, split between 20 inbound transits and 14 outbound along both the southern US-assisted traffic lane and the northern Iranian-controlled lane, according to Windward. This is likely the most traffic recorded since 7 July, when 36 vessels transited the strait, per Argus reporting . A total of 11 tankers transited the strait that day, including six inbound transits on the southern lane and one on the northern lane. There were four outbound tanker transits, split between three northern and one southern transit, Windward data shows. Notable inbound southern-lane transits included Grit , a very large crude carrier, that will likely load 2mn bl of crude in the Dubai lightering area, Kpler data shows.The LPG tankers Delma and Gas Warich were both scheduled to load around 500,000 bl each at Adnoc's Ruwais refinery, while the tanker Alfonso was set to load around 250,000 bl of fuel oil in Iraq, Kpler data shows. Outbound transits included three tankers on the northern lane that are likely to load in Iran, and a ballast bitumen tanker, per Kpler. On 23 August strait of Hormuz transits dropped to 16, split between six inbound and 10 outbound transits, mostly on the southern transit lane, according to Windward data. There were three three inbound tanker transits on the southern lane and one on the northern lane, per Windward data. Inbound transits included the Gas Marakua and the Olympios Gas , set to load around 500,000 bl and 300,000 bl of LPG, respectively, at Qatar's Ras Laffan refinery, and the medium range refined oil products tanker Imperial . By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Brazil, US to meet on tariffs after Lula-Trump call

26/08/24

News

26/08/24

Brazil, US to meet on tariffs after Lula-Trump call

Sao Paulo, 24 August (Argus) — Brazilian and US representatives will meet this week to discuss US tariffs on Brazilian imports imposed in July, following a phone call between the presidents of both countries last week. The US' trade representative Jamieson Greer reached out to the Brazilian government shortly after presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Donald Trump spoke on the phone last week , according to Brazilian officials. Lula told Trump then that the US' 25pc tariffs on Brazilian products were "unfounded". Brazil's trade minister Marcio Rosa and representatives from the foreign affairs ministry will meet with the US' Office of Trade Representative (USTR) this week, the Brazilian government said, but a specific date was not disclosed. The USTR imposed the tariffs as a result of a year-long "Section 301" investigation into unfair Brazilian trade practices, citing a restrictive ethanol market as one of the reasons for the probe. Other factors included concerns over organized crime, corruption, deforestation and unfair competition from Brazil's digital payments system, Pix. Although many products — such as pig iron, iron ore, rare-earth metals, crude, coffee and beef — are exempt from the tariffs, many others, such as ethanol, sugar and beef tallow, are not. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Egypt’s NCIC issues fertilizer sales tender

26/08/24

News

26/08/24

Egypt’s NCIC issues fertilizer sales tender

London, 24 August (Argus) — Egyptian fertilizer producer NCIC has issued a tender to sell various fertilizers, closing on 1 September. NCIC is offering the following products: 10,000t of DAP — it sold 21,000t at $915-920/t fob in its 11 August tender 10,000t of TSP 10,000t of SSP 10,000t of merchant-grade 52-54pc P2O5 phosphoric acid solution 1,000t of water-soluble SOP — it sold 500t at $750/t bagged ex-works in its 11 August tender NCIC did not award the 10,000t of TSP and 30,000t of SSP offered in its 11 August tender. The producer does not typically sell phosphoric acid for export. Bids in this tender are to be valid for two weeks. The phosphoric acid is to be loaded at Ain Sokhna sea port. NCIC says that the buyer will incur storage costs for cargoes not loaded within 30 days from issuing the invoice. By Tom Hampson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

US-Canada trade deal collapses as tariffs begin

26/08/22

News

26/08/22

US-Canada trade deal collapses as tariffs begin

Washington, 22 August (Argus) — The US began collecting new tariffs on about $28bn of Canadian imports on Saturday, and Canada vowed to retaliate, after the two countries failed to reach a trade deal after months of negotiations. Trade negotiations collapsed late on Friday, prompting the US to impose new 50pc tariffs on commodities such as cement, plywood and paper. The impasse also means, at least for now, the end of an effort to reduce US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said he would match the tariffs "dollar for dollar", escalating a trade fight that President Donald Trump launched near the start of his second term by putting steep tariffs on vast amounts of imports coming across the border. "This evening, I have decided to suspend trade negotiations with the US," Carney said after negotiations fell apart. "Last-minute changes in the US proposed terms were unfair, uneconomic, and called into question the reliability of any deal." The US blamed Canada for the failure of talks, claiming Canada made "new demands" and walked back other commitments, despite being offered significantly lower tariffs on steel, aluminum, automobiles and lumber. "This is a missed opportunity for Canada to partner with the United States," the US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a social media post. The collapse of the deal comes as Trump is facing political blowback over the high prices consumers are paying partly because of his tariffs. On Friday, Trump said he reached a deal allowing up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported without tariffs, which he said would lower beef prices. The latest 50pc tariffs will not apply to energy, potash or critical miners, but they will tack on additional costs on other key imports into the US. The failure of the trade talks also could derail Trump's hopes of reviving the Keystone XL crude pipeline. Trump, just days before the trade negotiations faltered, had said that under a deal Keystone XL "may be awoken from the grave" despite being cancelled in 2021. The administration had not offered details about a strategy to restart the project, which its developers abandoned years ago in favor of alternatives such as the 550,000 b/d Prairie Connector pipeline. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

US high-balling Hormuz energy flows

26/08/20

News

26/08/20

US high-balling Hormuz energy flows

New York, 20 August (Argus) — US officials continue to claim a high number of tankers are exiting the strait of Hormuz through US-assisted transits, despite vessel tracking and satellite information pointing to much lower traffic through the strait. "Right now, the strait is open. A lot of boats are coming through. We are getting a lot of oil out," US President Trump said on 19 August at the White House. But vessel information firm TankerTrackers.com said on 20 August that only 5mn b/d is departing the US Navy blockade line regardless of where the loading or transfer of crude is taking place, in response to claims by US officials that 10mn b/d are traveling through the strait of Hormuz. The US-imposed blockade on Iranian ports is being enforced from outside the strait of Hormuz between the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, so the TankerTrackers.com figure likely includes loadings at the UAE and Oman's eastern ports within the Gulf of Oman, beyond the confines of the strait itself. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed last week that an average of 9mn b/d exited the strait of Hormuz, a figure much higher than available information. "We do have control of the strait, you would have seen media reports that large amounts of energy are getting out, and you know I think that we can continue doing that in the southern lane," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in an interview with CNBC on 20 August. Available vessel tracking and satellite data does not corroborate the assertions made by US officials that many tankers are going through the strait of Hormuz on the US' southern transit lane. Some tanker traffic is occurring through the strait, undetected by conventional vessel tracking systems since vessels are transiting with their automatic identification systems off. But these transits are visible through satellite imagery, on both the US-supported southern lane and the northern Iranian-controlled lane, data from maritime security firm Windward shows. These observable flows are at a fraction of pre-war levels, while many vessels transiting through the southern lane have been subject to attacks by Iranian forces. Tanker flows through the strait of Hormuz itself are projected by vessel tracking firm Vortexa to stand at around 941,400 b/d for the period of 14-21 August, comprised mostly of Iraqi and Saudi shipments. Most of the energy that is leaving the Mideast Gulf following the outbreak of the US-Iran war is doing so through the UAE and Oman's eastern ports. Estimates from Vortexa place exports via Fujairah port in the week between 14-21 August around 2.06mn b/d while exports via Sohar and Muscat, Oman, totaled around 1.15mn b/d in the same period. Vessel tracking data shows around 4mn b/d total departing from around the Mideast Gulf, including flows through Hormuz, in the last week. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Argus to provide additional details on the US' efforts to support tanker transits through the strait of Hormuz. Hormuz tanker traffic on Iranian lanes up Vessel traffic through the strait of Hormuz over the last 24 hours totaled 16 vessels, mostly transiting through the northern, Iranian-controlled transit lane, split between 10 inbound transits and six outbound transits, data from maritime security firm Windward shows. Tanker traffic totaled 12 vessels, split between seven inbound and five outbound transits, most of which took place on the northern lane, Windward data shows. The Liberia-flagged Sweden Prosperity and the Hong Kong-flagged Hestia transited the strait inbound through the southern corridor, Windward data shows. However, the Hestia has turned back following its successful inbound transit and is currently idling off the eastern coast of the UAE, data from vessel tracking service Vortexa shows. The Hestia is one of at least two China-affiliated very large crude carriers to abandon its transits through the strait of Hormuz over the last few days. The remaining five inbound transits took place on the northern, Iranian controlled lane, according to Windward. For outbound transits, a single transit took place on the US-supported southern lane, Windward tracked the Ashley which transited dark. The Ashley is laden with 469,000 bl of fuel oil it loaded at Dubai lightering area on 16 August and is currently idling off Fujirah, according to Kpler data. By Charlotte Bawol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more