HOT!!! China’s fertilizer exports rise in Jan-May

Data from the Chinese customs office shows that China’s fertilizer exports surged by 33.1% in volume and 13.8% in value, reaching 12.84 tons and 2.71 billion USD during the first five months of 2025.Notably, this period also saw a significant decline of 82% in urea exports. The volume of ammonium sulfate (AS) increased by 31.7% to 6.98 million tons, while exports of diammonium phosphate (DAP) dropped by 91% to 92,500 tons. The volume of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) also decreased by 85.1% to 91,600 tons.

In May, Chinese fertilizer exports totaled 3.144 million tons, up by 21.3% from a year earlier. Export volume of urea dropped by 93.06% to 2400 tons, mainly due to China’s strengthened customs inspection. This is also the ninth consecutive months that China’s monthly urea exports been below the level of 10,000 tons. In May 7th, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) held a symposium regarding the export of urea and phosphate fertilizer, stressing the principles of prioritizing domestic needs, proper and self-discipline exportation, as well as replenish from overseas. NDRC explicated that the total quotas will be kept under the level of 2023 and the quota will be assigned by putting weight on whether the company has fulfilled the national tasks of reserves and the minimum production outputs. The export window this year is set at May to September and the export of fertilizer to India will be prohibited this year. It is reported that Chinese exporters has started the customs declaration since late May and the port inventories of urea has surged by 50% from 200,000 tons to 300,000 tons from late June to mid-June. From this, China’s urea exports expect to ramp up in later half this year.

For DAP, the situation is clear. It is clear that producers who have previously experienced off-line maintenance have resumed production in session, and the oval DAP capacity utilisation reached 49.75% on 19 June. The high cost was mainly due to rising raw material prices, which will undoubtedly force domestic producers to make much greater use of international markets, especially against a backdrop of rising international prices.

Export Destination of China’s Key Fertilizers (May 2025)