Phosphate Rock

Abstract

(Data in thousand metric tons unless otherwise noted) Domestic Production and Use: Phosphate rock ore was mined by 6 firms at 12 mines in 4 States, and upgraded to an estimated 30.9 million tons of marketable product valued at $3.5 billion, f.o.b. mine. Florida and North Carolina accounted for more than 85% of total domestic output; the remainder was produced in Idaho and Utah. Marketable product refers to beneficiated phosphate rock with phosphorus pentoxide (P 2 O 5) content suitable for phosphoric acid or elemental phosphorus production. More than 95% of the U.S. phosphate rock mined was used to manufacture wet-process phosphoric acid and superphosphoric acid, which were used as intermediate feedstocks in the manufacture of granular and liquid ammonium phosphate fertilizers and animal feed supplements. Approximately 45% of the wet-process phosphoric acid produced was exported in the form of upgraded granular diammonium and monoammonium phosphate (DAP and MAP, respectively) fertilizer, merchant-grade phosphoric acid, and triple superphosphate fertilizer. The balance of the phosphate rock mined was for the manufacture of elemental phosphorus, which was used to produce phosphorus compounds for a variety of food-additive and industrial applications. Events, Trends, and Issues: Beginning in late 2007 and continuing into 2008, the price of phosphate rock jumped dramatically worldwide owing to increased agricultural demand and tight supplies of phosphate rock. The average U.S. price was more than double that of 2007. Average spot prices from North Africa and other exporting regions approached $500 per ton, which was more than five times the average price in 2007. Prices for nitrogen, potash, and sulfur also increased, thus causing the price of fertilizers to reach record highs.