OCP plans to quit US market if the country imposes duty on its imports, officials said

Morocco-based phosphate rock miner OCP group could consider stopping fertilizer sales in the United States if the country’s Commerce Department imposes an anti-subsidy duty on its imports, two OCP senior officials told Reuters on Friday.

«In the unfortunate event of the imposition of a countervailing duty, OCP would be able to redirect its exports towards other markets», OCP officials told the British news agency.

For the record, the US Commerce Department launched last week an investigation into whether phosphate fertilizers in Morocco and Russia are receiving unfair subsidies, the same source explained. The move was made after American company Mosaic Co filed a petition against OCP.

OCP is planning to challenge the petition as its fertilizers «do not receive any form of subsidy from the state», the officials added.

For the record, US imports of phosphate fertilizers from OCP group have reached $729 million in 2019.