On 19 Oct., on the 16th National Fertilizer Market Symposium held in Beijing, Tu Qiaohong, head of the 3rd Merchandise Bureau, Economics and Trade Department, National Development and Reform Commission expressed that to ensure the agricultural production of the fourth quarter of this year and next spring ploughing, as well as to stabilize domestic fertilizer supply and price, China will issue policies to enhance the control of fertilizers’ export, especially minor fertilizers. In the late-phase of the fourth quarter of this year, new policies are possible to be issued any time.
According to introduction, export of main categories of fertilizers is restricted by tariff policies. Therefore, enterprises turn to export substitute products – this is the main reason of the recent faster increase of minor fertilizers’ export. During the first eight months of this year, minor fertilizers in a fast export growth are mainly those compound fertilizers composing Nitrogen(N) and Phosphorus(P), Ammonium Sulfate, which are of low tariff or zero tariff products. Thereinto, export of other compound fertilizers including elements N and P accumulated up to 1,860,000 tons, 1,550,000 tons more than that of the same period of last year, five times increased. The export of coarse whiting accumulated to 1,230,000 tons, doubling that of last year. Export of ammonium sulfate accumulated to 1,180,000 tons, 37.2 percent increased. Export of small-packaged fertilizers less than 10 kilograms also increased greatly. Currently, the Development and Reform Commission is coordinating opinions of different departments and these minor products may be brought into the management scope of high tariff or relatively high tariff.
Tu also expressed that China will also issue other auxiliary policies and measures at the same time of strictly restraining the export of fertilizers, thus to help handle the superfluous productivity. She expressed the hope that in order to avoid significant losses, enterprises should neither fall for the hearsay on market, nor take risks.