According to customs statistics, my country’s total exports of various fertilizers reached 27.45 million tons from January to September 2026—a year-on-year decline of 17.7%. The total export value stood at $6.865 billion, down 30.6% year-on-year. The overall landscape is characterized by divergent trends for nitrogen fertilizers and a sharp contraction in phosphate fertilizers.
By product type, ammonium sulfate emerged as the largest export category, with a total volume of 16.19 million tons for the first nine months—a modest year-on-year increase of 6.9%. As a cornerstone of my country’s fertilizer exports, ammonium sulfate is consistently supplied to markets in Southeast Asia and South America. While it maintained the highest export volume and growth throughout the year, its short-term pace was somewhat disrupted in the second half following the implementation of new statutory inspection policies. Urea exports, meanwhile, broke from their previous sluggish trend; with a total volume of 3.88 million tons from January to September—a 38% year-on-year surge—urea became the standout performer in this year’s fertilizer export sector. This surge was concentrated between July and September, driven primarily by a urea tender from India’s RCF. A large volume was shipped in September alone, reaching 2.45 million tons—a peak for the year—with India as the primary destination, followed by markets such as Brazil and Vietnam.
Conversely, phosphate fertilizer exports contracted sharply. Exports of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) totaled only 110,000 tons for the first nine months, a 90.9% year-on-year plunge, while diammonium phosphate (DAP) exports fell by 97.1% to 70,000 tons. By the latter part of the third quarter, there were virtually no new export orders for either MAP or DAP. The primary obstacle to these exports has been China’s policy-driven export controls. From March 14 to August 31, 2026, the country implemented phased export controls on agricultural phosphate fertilizers—including a suspension of export declarations—which served as the decisive factor behind the dramatic collapse in total export volumes. Cumulative exports of ammonium chloride reached 1.7825 million tonnes, an increase of 16.99% year-on-year. September exports hit a new monthly high, marking the emergence of another nitrogen fertilizer product with growing export volume.
Regarding the pace of exports, the domestic market prioritized supply security; consequently, urea exports were strictly controlled during the spring farming season in the first half of the year, resulting in very low shipment volumes for the first five months. From July onwards, export quotas were released in an orderly manner, and with the finalization of Indian import tenders, a surge in exports followed. In September, fertilizer exports reached 6.13 million tonnes—a 12.8% year-on-year increase—representing a strong monthly performance. However, this was insufficient to offset the overall decline in total export volume caused by the sluggish performance of phosphate fertilizers earlier in the year.
Industry analysts suggest that urea exports in the fourth quarter will depend on factors such as pricing in the next round of Indian tenders, the price gap between domestic and international markets, and the pace at which remaining export quotas are released. As for phosphate fertilizers, significant growth in export volume is unlikely in the short term, given the expectation that export controls will remain the norm, coupled with a global supply-constrained environment. Overall, the regulation of domestic fertilizer exports continues to balance the need for domestic winter stockpiling and supply security with demand from overseas markets, maintaining a steady and controlled approach.
