Morocco's phosphate giant OCP and U.S. agricultural cooperative CHS are planning a $450 million phosphate-fertilizer plant in Louisiana, deepening Morocco's role in the American fertilizer market after the U.S. temporarily suspended certain trade duties on Moroccan phosphate products.
The proposed facility, to be developed in Waggaman, Louisiana, is expected to produce more than 1 million metric tonnes of phosphate-based fertilizers annually. The project would establish a major domestic source of phosphate fertilizer for U.S. farmers while strengthening the supply relationship between OCP and CHS.
The investment follows a policy shift in Washington. On June 29, 2026, President Donald Trump issued an emergency proclamation that temporarily suspended certain anti-dumping and countervailing duties affecting Moroccan phosphate fertilizer imports. The administration cited concerns over fertilizer availability and the need to protect American agricultural production from supply disruptions and higher input costs.
Moroccan phosphate has subsequently begun returning to the U.S. market. On August 17, OCP announced that approximately 54,000 tonnes of Moroccan Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) had arrived at the Port of New Orleans for distribution to American farmers ahead of the autumn application season.
The Louisiana project would take that relationship a step further by shifting part of OCP's supply model from exporting finished fertilizer to producing it inside the U.S. market.
The facility is expected to generate about 500 construction jobs and 60 permanent positions, while creating additional employment through related services and the wider agricultural supply chain.
For CHS, the partnership provides access to a major phosphate supply base at a time when American farmers and agricultural cooperatives are seeking greater security around fertilizer availability. For OCP, it provides a strategically located production base in one of the world's largest agricultural markets.
The investment also fits into OCP's broader strategy of expanding fertilizer production and distribution closer to major farming markets while maintaining access to Morocco's substantial phosphate reserves.
NBF Insight
The OCP-CHS project shows how trade policy can quickly reshape agricultural supply chains. A temporary duty suspension has helped reopen the U.S. market to Moroccan phosphate, but the proposed Louisiana plant goes beyond short-term trade. It could establish a more permanent commercial relationship in which Moroccan phosphate resources are combined with U.S. infrastructure, capital, and agricultural distribution networks.
For American farmers, the bigger potential benefit is a more diversified phosphate supply. For Morocco, the project represents something even more significant: moving from being a major fertilizer exporter to becoming a producer embedded directly inside the U.S. agricultural economy.
