Phosphate (PO4): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Phosphate rock is mined and processed mainly into phosphoric acid for fertilizers and animal feed supplements. In 2025 China produced an estimated 110,000 kt, 44% of world mine production (USGS world total: 250,000 kt), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for phosphate in 2025 was 16%. Phosphate is on the US, EU and Canadian critical minerals lists.
$100/t
phosphate rock, average value, free on board (f.o.b.) mine in 2025 (+4% on 2024)
Which countries produce phosphate?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world | Reserves (kt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 105,000 | 110,000 | 44% | 3,400,000 |
| Morocco | 35,300 | 36,000 | 14% | 50,000,000 |
| United States | 19,400 | 20,000 | 8% | 1,000,000 |
| Russia | 14,400 | 14,000 | 5.6% | 2,400,000 |
| Jordan | 11,500 | 12,000 | 4.8% | 820,000 |
| Saudi Arabia | 10,000 | 10,000 | 4% | 1,000,000 |
| Egypt | 5,300 | 5,500 | 2.2% | 2,800,000 |
| Brazil | 5,300 | 5,000 | 2% | 1,600,000 |
| All other countries | 33,018 | 33,150 | 13% | 9,922,000 |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 239,000 | 250,000 | 100% | 73,000,000 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Phosphate rock. Shares are calculated from the country figures and can differ by a point or two from percentages USGS states in its text, because USGS rounds its figures. NA means not available; Withheld means USGS withheld the figure to avoid disclosing company data.
What is phosphate used for?
- Wet-process phosphoric and superphosphoric acid: more than 95% of US phosphate rock; the intermediate feedstock for granular and liquid ammonium phosphate fertilizers and animal feed supplements
- Exports of phosphate products: about 25% of wet-process phosphoric acid produced was exported as upgraded diammonium phosphate (DAP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), merchant-grade phosphoric acid and other fertilizers
- Elemental phosphorus: the balance, used for phosphorus compounds for industrial applications, primarily glyphosate herbicide
How much does phosphate cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphate rock, average value, free on board (f.o.b.) mine | dollars per metric ton | 83 | 99 | 101 | 96 | 100 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Phosphate rock. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
Is phosphate a critical mineral?
Phosphate is on the US, EU and Canadian critical minerals lists. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Critical |
| Australia | Strategic materials list |
| Canada | Critical |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
What are the substitutes for phosphate?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | USGS says there are no substitutes for phosphorus |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Phosphate rock. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can phosphate be recycled?
USGS reports no recycling of phosphate rock.
What are the supply risks and recent events for phosphate?
- 2025. US apparent consumption was an estimated 7% lower than in 2024 because of lower phosphoric acid production. Production has been about 20 million tons for several years as Florida producers contend with decreasing reserves and lower phosphorus pentoxide content, which has increased imports.
- 2025. Global phosphate rock production was estimated 5% higher, with China, Morocco, the United States and Russia leading in that order. World fertilizer phosphorus pentoxide consumption was 47.8 million tons, against 47.1 million in 2024, and was projected to reach 51.5 million tons by 2029.
- October 2025. The US Bureau of Land Management approved a new phosphate rock mine in Caribou County, Idaho, to replace an existing mine when it is depleted within the next decade.
- November 2025. Phosphate rock was added to the US Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals after public comment and interagency input.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Peru, more than 99%; other, less than 1%. (USGS)
Resources. World resources of phosphate rock are more than 300 billion tons, mostly sedimentary marine phosphorites in northern Africa, the Middle East, China and the United States. USGS says there are no imminent shortages.
Which phosphate projects are on official lists?
| Project | State | Expected products | List |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Fort Meade, parcels south of SR 64 | Florida | Phosphate | Covered |
Source: Permitting Council, current covered projects and current transparency projects, last updated 2 April 2026.
Which companies produce or process phosphate?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mosaic | United States (mines in Florida, Brazil and Peru) | Phosphate rock miner and fertilizer producer (NYSE: MOS) | Its 2025 10-K gives phosphate rock production of about 9.5 million tonnes from three active Florida mines, about 47% of estimated North American output, and about 4.2 million tonnes in Brazil, about 71% of estimated Brazilian output. It made about 6.3 million tonnes of concentrated phosphate crop nutrients in Florida and Louisiana against 9.9 million tonnes of capacity, and holds a 75% economic interest in the Miski Mayo mine in Peru, with 4.8 million tonnes a year of capacity. Mosaic, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 27 February 2026) |
| Nutrien | Canada (phosphate operations in the United States) | Phosphate producer reviewing the business (NYSE: NTR; TSX: NTR) | Its 2025 annual report gives phosphate sales volumes of 2.4 million tonnes (2.6 in 2024) and phosphate net sales of $1,734 million, calls itself the largest producer of purified phosphoric acid in North America, which is its own claim, and says it began a review of strategic alternatives for the Phosphate business in the third quarter of 2025 that could include reconfiguring operations, partnerships or a sale. Nutrien: 2025 annual report, management discussion and analysis (Form 40-F exhibit, February 2026) |
| Yunnan Yuntianhua | China | Phosphate rock miner and fertilizer producer (SSE: 600096) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, gives phosphate fertilizer capacity of 5.55 million tonnes a year, which it calls China's second largest and the world's fourth, its own claim, run-of-mine phosphate rock capacity of 14.5 million tonnes a year and reserves of nearly 800 million tonnes. It quotes the National Bureau of Statistics for China's 2025 phosphate rock output of 121 million tonnes, up nearly 7%. Yunnan Yuntianhua: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (24 March 2026) |
| PhosAgro | Russia | Phosphate-based fertilizer and apatite producer | Its release on the first nine months of 2025 gives agrochemical production of 9,154.7 thousand tonnes (up 4.3%), of which phosphate-based fertilizers and feed phosphates were 7,019.5 thousand tonnes (up 5.5%). The text read gives no apatite concentrate output. PhosAgro: operating and financial results for 9M 2025 (20 November 2025) |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is phosphate used for?
Phosphate is used in wet-process phosphoric and superphosphoric acid, exports of phosphate products and elemental phosphorus. Wet-process phosphoric and superphosphoric acid: more than 95% of US phosphate rock; the intermediate feedstock for granular and liquid ammonium phosphate fertilizers and animal feed supplements.
Which country produces the most phosphate?
China produces the most phosphate: an estimated 110,000 kt, or 44% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS mine production figures.
Is phosphate a critical mineral?
Yes. Phosphate is on the US, EU and Canadian critical minerals lists. The United States added phosphate to its list in November 2025, when the final list grew from 50 to 60 minerals. US net import reliance for phosphate in 2025 was 16%.
How much does phosphate cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of phosphate at $100/t (phosphate rock, average value, free on board (f.o.b.) mine; +4% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 14, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Phosphate rock. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- Permitting Council: current FAST-41 projects
- Mosaic, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 27 February 2026)
- Nutrien: 2025 annual report, management discussion and analysis (Form 40-F exhibit, February 2026)
- Yunnan Yuntianhua: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (24 March 2026)
- PhosAgro: operating and financial results for 9M 2025 (20 November 2025)
