A group from the House of Representatives wrote on June 15 to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and five other relevant officials for trade and agriculture, asking the Administration to lift the duties against imported fertilizer, in particular urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) solutions from Trinidad and Tobago. The letter was spearheaded by Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS), who represents the state’s Congressional District 1, accounting for most of the land area in Kansas, which is the biggest wheat producer in the U.S.
The letter stated that an investigative action by the Commerce Department, “has effectively shut down all imports of UAN from Trinidad and Tobago at a time when U.S. fertilizer prices are at an all-time high. Several factors have led to these increased expenses—China’s curtailed fertilizer exports; a congested supply chain; increased demand; severe weather; the COVID-19 pandemic; and general inflationary pressures. Unfortunately, the Department’s preliminary determination [regarding Trinidad and Tobago] is only contributing to extreme hardship to America’s farmers.” (https://mann.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/mann.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/FINAL_ITC_2_RAIMONDO.pdf)
