Hawley Sends Letters to Fertilizer Producers, DOJ Demanding Answers for Recent Price Hikes

Hawley Sends Letters to Fertilizer Producers, DOJ Demanding Answers for Recent Price Hikes

Thursday, March 12, 2026

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent letters to five of the largest fertilizer producers as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi to ensure fertilizer companies are not engaged in price gouging or manipulating market conditions in the wake of the conflict in Iran. Senator Hawley sent letters to the CEOs of CF Industries Holdings Inc., Mosaic Co., Koch Fertilizer, Nutrien Ltd., and Yara International.

Senator Hawley wrote, "There have, of course, been recent disruptions to the global fertilizer market due to the Iranian conflict overseas, including bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz. But the price run-ups American farmers are facing far outpace any disruption from recent events. To be more specific, the percentage of U.S. fertilizer supply affected by issues in the Hormuz Strait appears to be minimal compared to the sudden change in prices."

Senator Hawley continued, "​These latest price hikes are especially troubling because the fertilizer industry is highly concentrated. Public reporting indicates that a small group of firms dominates the domestic market for nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. There are now also public reports that the Department of Justice has been investigating whether leading fertilizer producers coordinated to raise prices."

Senator Hawley concluded, "American farmers should not be forced to bankroll opportunistic pricing under cover of an overseas crisis. If your company is using this conflict as a pretext to raise prices beyond what market conditions justify, Congress will not ignore it."

Read Senator Hawley's full letter to the fertilizer companies here.

Senator Hawley sent an additional letter to Attorney General Bondi urging the Department of Justice to formally investigate recent increases in fertilizer prices, following reports of recent Departmental action.

"I write to urge the Department of Justice to formally investigate potential anticompetitive conduct and price gouging in the U.S. fertilizer market in the wake of the ongoing Iran crisis. American farmers are once again being slammed by sudden fertilizer price spikes at the worst possible time," Senator Hawley wrote.

"American farmers should not be exploited by dominant firms using a foreign crisis as cover to impose unjustified price increases, restrict supply, or coordinate market behavior. If firms are using this moment to pad margins at the expense of producers who feed this country, the Department should act swiftly," Senator Hawley concluded.

Read Senator Hawley's full letter to the Department of Justice here.

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