FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sara Robertson (Sara.Robertson2@mail.house.gov)

Crawford Reacts to ITC Vote on Fertilizer Imports

7/18/2022

Washington — Today, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) issued a decision that will help increase the supply of an important fertilizer, and lower its price for U.S. farmers, a step that will reduce some of the upward pressure on food prices. The decision reflects a position Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) has been advocating as fertilizer prices have soared.

USITC determined that a U.S. industry is not materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of urea ammonium nitrate solutions from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value.

As a result of the Commission’s negative determinations, Commerce will not issue countervailing duty orders and antidumping duty orders on imports of this product from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago.

Crawford released the following statement in response to the vote:  

“Record high inflation has greatly hindered farmers’ ability to keep their businesses profitable and ensure food at the grocery store remains affordable. This is a step in the right direction to lower farmers’ input costs so they can continue to grow the safest, most affordable, and abundant food supply in the world.”

Crawford has participated in several Congressional letters urging action to reduce fertilizer costs by facilitating increased imports:

·     July 2022 letter to President Biden

·     June 2022 letter to Department of Commerce

·     March 2022 letter to U.S. International Trade Commission

“Food security is national security, and we have an obligation to safeguard our ability to clothe and feed ourselves,” Rep. Crawford added.

The Commission’s public report Urea Ammonium Nitrate Solutions from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-668-669 and 731-TA-1565-1566 (Final), USITC Publication 5338, August 2022) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

The report will be available by August 22, 2022; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.

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