High fertilizer prices force Brazil to cut imports ahead of soybean planting

Brazil sharply reduced fertilizer imports in September just as the country entered the active soybean planting season. During the first 13 business days of the month, average daily arrivals stood at 137.3 thsd tons, down 29.9% from September 2025.

Fertilizer arrivals reached 1.78 mln tons from the start of September. By comparison, Brazil imported 4.33 mln tons in the whole of September 2025 and a record 4.64 mln tons in September 2024.

The decline has continued throughout the year. In January-August, Brazil imported 25.37 mln tons of fertilizers, the lowest volume for the period since 2023. At the same time, the average import price rose to $394.47/t, the highest January-August level since 2022.

Purchases of key fertilizer products are also declining. Potash imports have fallen below last year’s level, while urea imports totaled 2.82 mln tons in January-August. In phosphates, high sulfur prices are adding further pressure and have forced some domestic MAP, SSP and TSP production capacity offline.

Brazil’s fertilizer imports are forecast at 40–41 mln tons in 2026, more than 10% below the record 45.5 mln tons imported in 2025. Meanwhile, planted area continues to expand, while high prices are forcing farmers to be more selective in fertilizer application.

Tags: Brazil, prices, soybean, imports, fertilizers