India exploring options to boost fertiliser imports from US

India is exploring options to ramp up fertiliser imports from the United States as part of a broader strategy to diversify sourcing, reduce reliance on countries like China, and help narrow the growing trade imbalance with Washington, a government official told news agency PTI.
India’s fertiliser imports declined by 7.16 per cent in 2024-25 to $ 8.29 billion, compared to $ 8.92 billion in 2023-24 and $ 15.32 billion in 2022-23. The top five countries supplying fertilisers to India were Russia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, China, Morocco, and the United States.
In 2024-25, imports from Russia fell by 11.18 per cent to $ 1.84 billion, down from $ 2.07 billion in 2023-24. Fertiliser imports from China dropped significantly—by 61.13 per cent—to $ 0.88 billion, compared to $ 2.25 billion in the previous fiscal.
Shipments from the US also contracted, falling by 27 per cent to $ 0.029 billion in 2024-25, from $ 0.039 billion in 2023-24.
The United States has expressed concern over its widening trade deficit with India. In 2024-25, India’s exports to the US rose by 11.6 per cent to $ 86.51 billion, from $ 77.52 billion in the previous year. Imports from the US increased by 7.44 per cent to $ 45.33 billion, up from $ 42.2 billion in 2023-24.
As a result, India’s trade surplus with the US expanded to $ 41.18 billion in 2024-25, from $ 35.32 billion in the preceding fiscal year.
To address trade imbalances and deepen economic ties, India and the US are currently negotiating a bilateral trade agreement, with the goal of increasing bilateral trade to $ 500 billion by 2030.
Amid these developments, the US announced a broad package of tariffs on April 2 targeting several countries, including India. However, the 26 per cent additional duty on Indian goods was suspended on April 9 until July 9, as trade negotiations continue.
Meanwhile, India’s fertiliser imports from Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Morocco rose in 2024-25. Imports from Saudi Arabia increased by 32.4 per cent to $ 1.48 billion (up from $ 1.12 billion), Oman by 54.93 per cent to $ 1.07 billion (from $ 0.69 billion), and Morocco by 32.91 per cent to $ 0.81 billion (up from $ 0.61 billion).
India, one of the world’s largest importers of fertilisers, relies heavily on external supplies to support its vast agricultural sector, which employs nearly half of the country's workforce.