China Resumes Phosphate Fertilizer Export Declarations: What Changed on 1 September 2026

China restored normal export declaration procedures for agricultural phosphate fertilizers on 1 September 2026, ending a suspension that had been in place since 14 March 2026. Monoammonium phosphate (MAP), diammonium phosphate (DAP) and selected phosphate-containing compound fertilizers are again able to clear through standard export declaration channels. The change is the single most important supply-side development in the phosphate chain this quarter.

The timeline

• 11 December 2025: Chinese phosphate fertilizer industry bodies reached a consensus to avoid scheduling phosphate fertilizer exports before August 2026, in order to prioritise domestic supply for the spring application season.
• 14 March 2026: Phased export controls took effect, with declarations for mainstream phosphate fertilizer grades suspended. Major producers including Yunnan Yuntianhua, Hubei Xingfa and Xinyangfeng paused export declarations.
• August 2026: Export volumes were repositioned ahead of the reopening — phosphate rock exports rose from effectively zero to 61,000 tonnes in the final month of the suspension.
• 1 September 2026: Normal declaration procedures resumed for agricultural phosphate fertilizers.

Where prices sit after the reopening

Domestic Chinese phosphate fertilizer prices entered the export window at elevated levels. Chinese commodity media reported MAP at RMB 4,110 per tonne in September 2026, up approximately 20.5% year on year, and DAP at RMB 8,333 per tonne, near a three-year high. A separate assessment of 55% powdered MAP on 21 September put the average at RMB 4,023 per tonne, unchanged day on day, with autumn application demand described as slow to release and compound fertilizer operating rates around 33%.

The more consequential figure for exporters is the international premium. Baltic MAP quotations were reported close to RMB 1,000 per tonne above Chinese domestic levels, with the DAP spread between domestic and export markets exceeding RMB 1,500 per tonne. Disruption to Iranian phosphate fertilizer exports has tightened international availability further.

Why the export window matters more than the price

1. Declaration policy, not demand, is the effective price regulator. When declarations are suspended, product is trapped domestically and domestic prices fall; when they resume, product can chase international prices. Any phosphate forecast that starts from operating rates rather than from policy will be wrong.
2. A wide export premium is self-limiting. The larger the gap between domestic and export prices, the stronger the incentive to re-tighten controls to protect domestic supply. Buyers should not assume the current window stays open indefinitely.
3. Phosphate fertilizer and lithium iron phosphate are two separate demand stories. They share a mineral base but respond to agriculture policy and battery demand respectively, and they should be planned separately.
4. Grade and category eligibility must be confirmed before quotation. Which specific products fall inside the resumed declaration channel is a factual, product-level question — not an assumption.