White House says US seeking fertilizer from Venezuela, Morocco

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

March 17, 2026 8:15 AM EDT Updated 7 hours ago


WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - The Trump ​administration is seeking other sources of fertilizer ‌amid the ongoing Iran war's shipping constraints, including from Venezuela and possibly Morocco, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said ​on Tuesday.

"We've ... established licenses for Venezuela to produce ​more fertilizer. We've had discussions with Morocco," ⁠he said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" program, calling it "an ​insurance policy against disruption" for U.S. farmers.

"I'm not ​saying that we can eliminate what disruption there is so far, but we can minimize it," Hassett told ​CNBC in the interview.

Fertilizer supplies have shrunk as ​the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran cut off critical nitrogen fertilizer ‌supplies ⁠from the Gulf to the world's farmers, sending prices spiking by more than one-third in recent weeks.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/white-house-says-us-seeking-fertilizer-venezuela-morocco-2026-03-17/

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Going into spring planting season with the results of the tariffs and a couple wars. What did they think would happen?

[Prairie Gates]

1. These idiots

[Captain Zero]

2. They've destroyed farmers markets anyway

Do farmers have any money to buy it?

Also some years ago I thought fertilizers were made in Omaha and North Carolina?
Did that get outsourced to the Arab Gulf states?

[Prairie Gates]

4. Something like 40% of urea for fertilizer comes through the Strait of Hormuz

The US supposedly could be self-sufficient with other sources, but what happens when half the supply of a commodity drops out of a market? It's also getting right around to planting season across the northern hemisphere, so the timing isn't great either. The fact that they have to even make these deals and this announcement means that it's an issue they're hearing about.

[modrepub]

9. Petrochemicals

Oil is used in the creation of fertilizer and pharmaceuticals. Most folks don’t know this and Trump had no idea of it.

Oil, it’s more than just something you pump in your tank. And at some point in the future it will be too valuable to just power cars, trucks and ships.

[Torchlight]

3. Corn, soybean, oats,

Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, lettuce, onions... on and on. These are spring crops we'll be paying dearly for in May for no other reason than our president is an idiot in golden robes.

[milestogo]

5. Are they going to build their own bombs now?

[twodogsbarking]

6. Trump praised the man who is President of Venezuela. Insert string of expletives.

[OAITW r.2.0]

7. Canada was a huge supplier of Potash to US fertilizer manufacturers....

before Trump fucked that up. If you think grocery prices are high now, wait 7 months.

[Bayard]

8. I would think there would be plenty of fertilizer flowing out of the Oval Office....

[Marcuse]

10. Why not just confiscate their fertilizer in the interests of national security like we did their Presidente?

[Johnny2X2X]

11. They have no idea what they're doing

Everything is a reaction to their latest screw up. And Trump woo come out and say, “No one knew…”. You idiot, everyone who knows about shipping through there knew. And there’s other things too they’re not even realizing yet.

The whole reason anyone has ever played ball with Iran is that Straight. They control the land right there and it’s a massive area. It’s their only recourse as you continue to kill their leaders and their people.

[Takket]

12. Kind of funny watching it in real time

As MAGA comes to the realization that “fuck all y’all. We’re the USA!” Is not a functional strategy in the global community.

They think globalization is killing us when in fact it is the relationships we’ve built over decades, that they have now destroyed in one year, that got us to the top of the heap.

[Fiendish Thingy]

13. The US gets most of its fertilizer from CANADA

Canada, along with Russia, are the two largest producers of potash.

Oh wait, isn’t there a new 25% tariff on that?

What a bunch of maroons…

[area51]

14. What did they think would happen?

That's the problem: they didn't think.

[Blumancru]

15. Look in his depends. You'll find plenty of fertilizer there.

Feed him enough filet of fish sandwiches and he will likely produce enough to avert any shortage.

[BidenRocks]

16. Only the best people!