Pritzker Demands Trump Act on Soaring Fertilizer Costs
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is calling on President Donald Trump to provide relief for farmers facing soaring fertilizer costs, which he attributes to the ongoing war in Iran. The Governor wrote a letter to the President on August 28, 2026, urging him to suspend federal import taxes on nitrogen-based fertilizers used by Illinois corn farmers.
The cost of nitrogen fertilizer has increased significantly since the start of the war. Anhydrous ammonia prices have risen 36% from $828 per ton to $1,123 per ton, while urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) prices have increased 25% from $436 per ton to $543 per ton.
Pritzker is concerned that these rising costs will affect not only farmers but also working families who will end up paying higher grocery prices. He is asking the Trump administration to direct the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Commerce to allow certain fertilizers to enter the country free of federal import taxes for the duration of the emergency.
The Governor is also requesting an extension of a suspension on phosphate fertilizer imports from Morocco through June 30, 2027, to ensure that it remains in place throughout the fall purchasing window and the full spring application season.