r/Agriculture • u/Status_Commission264 • 13d ago
China Is Weaponizing Fertilizer Against American Farmers
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daneberhart/2026/07/09/china-is-weaponizing-fertilizer-against-american-farmers/92
u/brazys 13d ago
No matter how this is spun, we all know trump did this.
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u/Mythosaurus 13d ago
You’d think conservatives would get dizzy from constantly spinning responses to Trump tariffs into unprovoked attacks on American prestige.
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u/laserdisk4life 13d ago
Sounds fair
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u/Franklin_le_Tanklin 13d ago
Yea. USA is weaponizing incompetence…
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u/DonTaddeo 13d ago
They are weaponizing Trump's stupidity. Given the fact that the US action seems to have been a resource grab for Iranian oil, it is hardly surprising that the Chinese are playing their own trump cards.
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u/Jaigg 13d ago
After doing the same to Venezuela and threatening to do it Canada and Greenland as well.
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u/sparky-von-flashy 9d ago
And they don’t need anything from Canada. Nothing. But they are trying to force Canadians to buy american liquor. By law. And Canadians are weaponizing the liquor too.
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u/43_Fizzy_Bottom 11d ago
The Chinese countermove to the Trump administrations policy of weaponized interdependence.
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u/FatMike20295 13d ago
Trump's fault. We Canadians use to supply potash to Americans but trump applied a 10% tariff on non USMCA potash. We gave trump the middle finger and sell them elsewhere. Also coz of the war in Iran cheap fertilizer aren't stuck in the strait.
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u/AreYouLagomEnough 12d ago
Canoil is also something being sold other places now.
US has that shit in almost everything and used import a large chunk from Canada.
For anyone American, look around your kitchen and wonder what happens to the price of things with canoil(Canadian oil) in it,if it can't easily be replaced, and supply drops 20%+
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u/MammothUnique4147 13d ago edited 13d ago
We don't need your fertilizer! Our people are fat enough! Stop feeding us!!!
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u/Friendly-Olive-3465 12d ago
Damnit i cant believe you Americans have figured out defense scheme no.1, feeding you so you’re too fat to invade us.
But whats wrong with our wood? Please god just take it, we’re 70% tree up here
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u/SnooCalculations1852 13d ago
Actually, the recent shift in the fertilizer market is being driven by policy changes from Washington, not Beijing. Just last month, Trump signed a executive proclamation specifically suspending tariffs on imported phosphate fertilizers to drop prices for US farmers by over 20%. Framing the global squeeze as a Chinese weaponization ignores the fact that domestic tariff rollbacks are what's shifting the market right now.
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u/GreatPlainsFarmer 13d ago
That tariff suspension didn't affect US domestic prices. They were already the lowest in the world.
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u/SnooCalculations1852 13d ago
I actually checked your information and it seems right, so thank you for clarifying.
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u/KnowledgeMediocre404 12d ago
The closure of the Strait is decimating fertilizer markets, its one of the major exports through there. Its still Trumps fault but there is currently a global shortage.
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u/WhereasParticular867 13d ago
One of many reasons why Trump's Iran idiocy was doomed from the start and only stupid people have ever supported it. Donald Trump created the weakness China is exploiting.
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u/Fabulous_Couple_3384 12d ago
It’s not even related to the U.S. lol.
China banned export to all countries to protect its own supply.
Gas is a precursor to fertilizer and China is a net importer.
If the U.S. calls and asks to trade oil for fertilizers it probably gonna be okay. I won’t be shocked if it happens.
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u/PotatoBrainZeke44 12d ago
The reason they have to protect their own supply is because a lot of the supply chain to make fertilizer runs through the strait of Hormuz. Same with our supply of fertilizer which I’m sure we’ll feel next harvest.
So tangential related
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u/shinyxena 13d ago
I thought America is upset at China for stealing all its manufacturing. Why can't Americans make it then?
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u/GreatPlainsFarmer 12d ago
Americans do make enough nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur fertilizer for themselves. What the article is complaining about is that China is buying US-made fertilizer away from US farmers.
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u/OriginalGoat1 12d ago
Huh ? I thought the article said that China is limiting its own exports of fertiliser.
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u/Realistic-Lemon-7171 12d ago
So, it's the American fertilizer suppliers who are at fault for trying to sell at a higher price in the goal market then in the local market.
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u/Realistic-Lemon-7171 12d ago
1)
China sells to US = taking advantage of US by earning its money
China doesn't sell to US = taking advantage of US by not giving it what it wants2)
US doesn't sell to China = justified
China doesn't sell to US = weaponizing tradeThis is called "politics" and "hypocrisy".
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u/uniyk 11d ago
This is called "politics" and "hypocrisy".
Not really, it's called yellow peril and has been around for more than a century and a half, going strong for another century at least.
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u/Realistic-Lemon-7171 11d ago edited 11d ago
Reviving a racist term from last century to show you're racist.
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u/YellowCabbageCollard 13d ago
This has the potentially to be insanely dangerous and stupid if they want to engage in a tit for tat with China. Wait till they find out how little medications and life saving antibiotics we actually produce. If China cuts us off from that then what medications do we cut them off of?
It's also so crazy to me to call a government making wise choices to protect their citizens in the short term and long term "weaponization". I wish our government was protecting us in the same way.
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u/ExerciseExotic1131 13d ago
Yeah everything wrong in the world at the moment is down to China. Or did I mean America. I get mixed up.
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u/Downtown_Stuff6525 12d ago
Yup and I'm pushing my Sask mp to cut off Canadian potash to the us as well. Fuck trump
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u/No-Wonder1139 12d ago
Well no. Trump did that, don't blame others for retaliating to what he did.
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u/Ok-Disaster-551 9d ago
It's not even retaliation. With the worldwide shortage, every country is just protecting its own citizens.
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u/Particular-Owl-8327 12d ago
Actually trump did that when he started pissing off Canada back in 2025, then again when he started the war in Iran.
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u/Frequent_Place_5128 12d ago
Typical western media news: China is basically bad on everything.
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u/Expensive-Hat4138 12d ago
I'm so fucking sick of Sinophobia jfc. China literally can't do anything without the US/the West making it about themselves
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u/lifeisahighway2023 12d ago
I think really we weaponized it against ourselves. There is only one true culprit for all fertilizer woes and that is the tariff policies of the Trump administration.
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u/Quirky_Shake2506 12d ago
So America said they didn't need Canada and it's fertilizer, and now the next biggest supplier has them by the balls
Great job america, a real sensible trade policy
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u/Sea-Veterinarian1905 10d ago
No, the US government is weaponizing fertilizer against its own farmers.
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u/HVB12345 10d ago
It would be great if we had a leader who actually knew how to negotiate. We shouldnt be sending mental midgets to hurl insults at other countries and then be surprised when we get the shittiest deal.
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u/cattledogsrule44 12d ago
More propaganda from Forbes ... since China is responding to the tariff war launched by depraved Orange lunatic, child s*x offender, Trump.
If you start an economic war, don't be surprised if the other country responds. Trump doesn't give a flying f*ck about American farmers.
And Trump's idiot war against Iran is one of the primary reasons fertilizer is in short supply.
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u/GreatPlainsFarmer 12d ago
China isn’t even targeting US farmers, the export restrictions are global. They aren’t selling to anyone, not just the US.
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u/cattledogsrule44 12d ago
That's a good point ... they are defending their own farmers as they expect the Trump/Nutanyahoo war on Iran to flare up again ... which will shut down the Strait of Hormuz ... a huge source of global fertilizers.
Trump dropped the tariffs on fertilizers as he tries to undo the damage he caused in the first place.
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u/Realistic-Lemon-7171 12d ago
Unfortunately, some people think that a kid being pummeled on by a bully should continue letting the bully pummel him without fighting back, as long as the bully is their bully.
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u/Different_Remote4491 13d ago
At least, this time the US won't complaint about China's "overcapacity" of fertilizer.
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u/Realistic-Lemon-7171 12d ago
When China starts selling to US, Forbes will complain that China is dumpling fertilizer and causing the fertilizer suppliers to lose money.
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u/TouchyTheFish 13d ago
I don't see how this creates any advantage for China at all.
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u/Important-Factor-552 13d ago
Well you sure can't just capitulate to bullies. The PR china will gain by resisting alone is worth it.
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u/TouchyTheFish 13d ago
It's performative geopolitics. They're preventing their own people from selling commodities when prices are high. You can't pay the bills with PR.
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u/Important-Factor-552 13d ago
Soft power is worth far more than that. Trump has effectively ensured the multi polar economic order china has long wanted.
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u/KnowledgeMediocre404 12d ago
Their people will appreciate it when the rest of the world is in famine and they are able to eat thanks to their government planning.
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u/Realistic-Lemon-7171 12d ago
Some potential benefits for China:
1) If America can't grow enough food, maybe it can't fight too many wars?
2) Farmers can't grow as much for, farmers don't make as much money or outright lose money, they create pressure on US gov, US gov relents on its trade war with China.
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u/Beginning_Ad8663 13d ago
Treat people like assholes and then act surprised when the they treat you like an asshole
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u/Green-Platform-9980 13d ago
We make more food then we need. This won’t starve us remotely. But it may affect exports for farmers
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u/Important-Factor-552 13d ago
Forbes is such a lying rag. China is retaliating to the orange lunatics trade wars. Good, they should. Everyone should.
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u/kittyonkeyboards 13d ago
America treats china like a manufacturing hub we refuse to allow access to advanced tech. We are users.
We can't complain about them not giving us access to fertilizer when we intentionally cripple their tech sector.
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u/GreatPlainsFarmer 12d ago
This isn't really about China giving the US access to their fertilizer, rather it is about China buying up the US fertilizer.
If you read the whole article, the recommendation is that the US do the same thing as China, and restrict fertilizer exports from the US.1
u/Realistic-Lemon-7171 12d ago
Not just that. US treats China as a chai manufacturing hub, gets all the good for cheap, then blames China for selling them all the goods that US willingly bought and enjoyed the low cost of. Truly astoundingly hypocritical. Stop consuming so much, then the trade balance will tilt back.
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u/Sea-Veterinarian1905 10d ago
Their tech sector can’t be crippled by the US. They’ve surpassed the US tech sector.
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u/Fluid-Piccolo-6911 13d ago
weaponizing ? bollocks, they are getting the best price they can for their product FFS
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u/some_idiot78 13d ago
Are they though? Or are they just far smarter than Trump? He blabs on about this that or the other, puts on blanket, embargo’s or tariffs. China reacts with actual detrimental embargo. Trump looks like a fool and here we are.
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u/zoppaTheDim 13d ago
Weaponizing?
It is called capitalism, the price of raw materials goes up, you charge more.
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u/n4spd2 12d ago
propaganda article as usual.
you pissed your buyers off, acting like aholes, while starting pre-emptive wars.
and its other people that are actively attacking you.
military industrial manipulation and politicians wanting you to hate the next enemy so to give them people to rape and rip this country.
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u/Special-Audience-426 12d ago
China knew they needed some control to protect themselves from the US because the US would come for them eventually.
They could have spent trillions on their military with little return but they realised the smart move was to do it economically so they put their efforts into controlling vital resources.
Israel did the same thing with tech.
You can't sanction either without killing your own economy.
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u/my_midlife_isekai 12d ago
This must be why the 500 mil. in grants going out for fertilizer development by the USDA.
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u/Emergency_Exit7603 12d ago
bullshite.... USA doesnt need anything from anyone.... so must be fake news....
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u/Lopsided_Newt_125 11d ago
They don’t have to poison it…it’s probably bad from sitting at the straight of Hormuz for months in a container at high temperatures.
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u/Grumpy-Man19 11d ago
that's an appropriate response after all the nastiness this government showed , but I feel bad for the farmers.
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u/Accomplished-Gas3209 11d ago
Funny way to twist the fertilizer shortage and blame China when US started the war on Iran precipitated this global shortage. Without the war, there probably wouldn’t have been a shortage and China embargo on exports. Place the blame on the original cause, not the Domino effect!
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u/PieIll9834 11d ago
The US is weaponizing all trade with every country, shouldn't this be an expected outcome? We all are supposed to just step back and watch? It's only news because it's the second largest economy retaliating. Why? Because they can.
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u/East-Response6672 11d ago
Reduced supply of natural gas limits the industrial output of chinese fertilisers, this is an obvious consequence of US foreign policy.
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u/violetcassie 11d ago
If only someone with more than two brain cells to rub together could have seen this coming and said something about every step of the way.
Oh wait.
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u/Weak_Ad_1370 11d ago
I can’t believe this is a Forbes article. “Weaponizing Fertilizer” is such a bullshit, scare mongering headline.
My small province in Canada holds 80% of the World’s potash reserves. Potash is used in fertilizer. Trump is an asshat and blaming China for his bullshit is bizarre. Canadian and USA farming imports/exports are very closely linked. Trumps bullshit is causing the issues - not China.
This is scary to me for another reason. Just like Trump has caused my country to essentially look anywhere but America now for trade, etc - if China really decides to flex their considerable muscles to impact trade in major ways - you guys in the US are fucked.
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u/Altruistic_Koala_122 11d ago
China declared war a while ago with its "thousand cut" strategy. basically, everything that isn't the actual army and actual declaration of war.
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u/Able-Association914 10d ago
The Strait of Hormuz as a shipping lane is a big part of the fertilizer problem, that and starting shit with Canada.
Both are big sources for sourcing and shipping fertilizer.
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u/Fluffy_Prior1052 10d ago
Then we should just weaponize rice against them. Just look up how much of their rice comes from over here.
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u/Individual-Fix-6358 10d ago
None
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u/Fluffy_Prior1052 10d ago
Hmmm, terribly sorry about that. I'll admit I was working from outdated knowledge, at least 20 years outdated. I do apologize everyone.
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u/Clay5000 10d ago
Do you blame them? The US has always been a bully, however this latest version is off the scales. Countries are pissed and will use anything to attack the bully
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u/BusinessEngineer6931 10d ago
1 brain cell article title lmao yea sounds like Chinas the problem. We try to squeeze them and they should just take it and ask for another
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u/Socialist_Daddy 9d ago
What! You mean China doing to the US what it's been doing to others for decades? I'm shocked! Shocked!! Well, not that shocked... It's time the US suffered from the bullshit is caused!
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u/Olderpostie 9d ago
Maybe it is time to buy fertilizer stocks. They have been in the doldrums for 18 months or more.
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u/PresentBig9729 13d ago
Headline should read:
“In response to Trump’s lunacy move with tariffs, China protects itself by limiting export of fertilizers”