An Introduction to Fertilizer Production and Trade

All data derived from www.IFASTAT.org

 Nitrogen production, 2019

Global ammonia production, Mt

60 • Gross ammonia production can be used as a
proxy for total nitrogen production.
40
• In 2019, global nitrogen production totaled
20
183 Mt of ammonia (150 Mt in N tonnes).
• The top four producing countries (and their
0
contribution to the world total) were China
(29%), Russia (10%), the US (9%) and India
(8%).

Source: IFASTAT
 Nitrogen trade, 2019

Global urea exports, Mt

8
• While ammonia is the best measure of gross
6 production, urea is a better measure of
nitrogen trade as it is the most commonly
4
produced and consumed finished product.
2
• In 2019, the top four urea exporters –
0 Russia, Qatar, China and Egypt – accounted
for 45% of global trade volume.

Source: IFASTAT
 Phosphate production, 2019

• Gross phosphoric acid production can be

Global phosphoric acid production, Mt
40
used as a proxy for total processed
phosphate production.
30
• Global processed phosphate production
20 totaled 86 Mt of phosphoric acid (47 Mt in
10
P2O5 tonnes).
• The top four producing countries in 2019
0
(and their contribution to the world total)
were China (37%), Morocco (14%), the US
(14%) and Russia (8%).

Source: IFASTAT
 Phosphate trade, 2019

Global DAP+MAP exports, Mt

10

6
• The top four exporting countries of major
processed phosphates (DAP and MAP) –
4
China, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the US –
2
accounted for 79% of global trade.
0

Source: IFASTAT
 Potash production, 2019

Global potash production, Mt

25

20
• Global potash production was 66 Mt in 2019
(40 Mt in K2O tonnes).
15

10
• The top four producing countries (and their
5
contribution to the world total) were
Canada (31%), Russia (18%), Belarus (18%)
0
and China (12%).

Source: IFASTAT
 Potash exports, 2019

Global potash exports, Mt

25

20

15
• In 2019, the top four potash exporters –
10 Canada, Belarus, Russia and Israel –
5 accounted for 85% of global trade volume
0

Source: IFASTAT