Global Total Fertilizer Imports Approach 290 Million Tons; Brazil, the United States and India Contribute Nearly 40 % of Global Imports

Fertilizers constitute the foundation of food security. The identities of large-scale fertilizer-importing countries and the fertilizer types they purchase directly mirror the landscape and structure of global agricultural production.

I. Global Overview: Total Imports Close to 290 Million Tons, with Top-three Importers Accounting for Nearly 40 %

In 2024, the total volume of fertilizer imports across 168 countries and regions worldwide stood at approximately 289 million tons. The import pattern features a high degree of concentration:

Brazil ranked first globally as the world’s largest fertilizer importer with roughly 46.07 million tons (15.9 %);

followed by the United States (approx. 32.97 million tons, 11.4 %) and India (approx. 32.40 million tons, 11.2 %). The three countries jointly make up about 38.5 % of global imports;

The top-ten importing countries recorded combined imports of about 171.90 million tons, representing 59.4 % of the global total and forming the well-deserved “first-tier importing group”.

II. Top 100 Countries and Regions by Global Fertilizer Import Volume, 2024

From a regional perspective, fertilizer import demand is concentrated in major agricultural nations and resource-scarce economies.

III. Regional Distribution: A Tripartite Pattern among Asia, Latin America and Europe

Regionally, fertilizer import demand concentrates in large agricultural countries and resource-deficient economies.

Asia registers the highest total imports driven by large populations in India, China and Southeast Asia, alongside intensive rice and cash-crop cultivation. In Latin America, soybean farming in Brazil and Argentina fuels robust demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Represented by France, Germany and other nations, Europe sees a high proportion of compound and liquid fertilizers.

IV. Product Mix: Top-5 Fertilizer Types for Each of the Top-20 Importing Countries

Abbreviation Glossary:

 Muriate of Potash;  Urea;  Diammonium Phosphate;  Monoammonium Phosphate; NPK  Compound Fertilizer;  Ammonium Sulfate;  Ammonium Nitrate Solution;  Calcium Ammonium Nitrate;  Ammonium Nitrate;  Sulfate of Potash;  Anhydrous Ammonia; Phosphate Rock;  Triple Superphosphate;  Single Superphosphate.

V. Data-driven Insights: Four Points for Industry Attention

1. Potash Fertilizer (MOP) ranks as the top single imported fertilizer commodity worldwide

Among the top-20 importing countries, Muriate of Potash (MOP) appears in the top-5 lists for most nations and takes the No. 1 position in Brazil, the United States, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Belgium and others. This mirrors the pattern of highly concentrated global potash-resource distribution and import dependence for most major agricultural countries.

2. Urea constitutes the dominant imported nitrogen fertilizer

Urea appears frequently (17 times) in the top-5 lists of these 20 countries and ranks first in Australia, Thailand, Türkiye, Mexico, Poland, the United Kingdom, Spain and more. It is the most costeffective solid nitrogen fertilizer and the most actively traded nitrogen-fertilizer variety in international commerce.

3. Co-existence of ammonium phosphates (DAP/MAP) and phosphate rock (PR) reflects divergences in processing chains

The United States, Canada and Australia prefer imports of Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP). India, Türkiye, Belgium, the Republic of Korea and other countries import large volumes of phosphate rock (PR) as feedstock for downstream processing. Bangladesh, India and Canada import Diammonium Phosphate (DAP). These phenomena illustrate cross-country industrial-chain division between “importing raw materials” and “importing finished products”.

3. Urea-Ammonium Nitrate solution (UAN) and NPK compound fertilizers indicate the sophistication level of precision agriculture

4. Urea-Ammonium Nitrate solution (UAN) features prominently in the top-5 lists for France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the United States and other Western nations, demonstrating well-established mechanization and liquid-fertilizer application systems. NPK compound fertilizers hold a considerable share in Spain, Poland, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere, reflecting the trend toward refined management via “one-shot balanced fertilization”.

VI. Conclusion

According to 2024 statistics, global fertilizer imports are characterized by “dominance by a handful of large countries and a well-defined product mix”. Brazil, the United States and India account for nearly 40 % of total imports. Potash and urea act as the core single commodities; ammonium phosphate /phosphate-rock imports embody processing-chain division; liquid and compound fertilizers reflect the development level of precision agriculture.

For fertilizer import-export enterprises, traders and industry researchers, understanding importing countries’ product preferences and procurement scales serves as critical evidence for formulating market strategies and arranging supply-chain layouts.