Colleagues, today I urge you to support Senate Resolution No. 139, a resolution which would urge Congress to pass a law helping farmers combat rising fertilizer costs by waiving a tariff on Moroccan phosphate imports. Fertilizer prices have more than doubled since last year due to the many factors including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, high energy costs, a limited supply of materials, strong global demand, and lack of competition in the fertilizer industry. The United States is a major importer of foreign fertilizer and farmers are dependent on foreign supplies. The top producers of major components of fertilizer include China, Russia, Canada, and Morocco; with Belarus also providing a significant share of the potash.
Due to anti-competitive concerns, the ITC instituted a 19 percent tariff on Moroccan phosphate imports. However, this was based on price from 2018 to 2020. Since then the price of potash has tripled, causing the tariff burden to triple as well. Where farmers used to pay $300 per ton, they now are paying over $900. At a time like this, the costs of the rise of American—one thing we can do is help our farmers lower their cost which ultimately lowers the cost for us at the stores and other products as consumers. I urge a swift passage of this resolution and look forward to continuing to work, supporting those who feed us. Thank you very much and I urge your support.
By unanimous consent the Senate returned to the order of
Third Reading of Bills
Senator Lauwers moved that the Senate proceed to consideration of the following bill:
Senate Bill No. 691
The motion prevailed.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 691, entitled
A bill to amend 1931 PA 328, entitled “The Michigan penal code,” by amending section 159g (MCL 750.159g), as amended by 2019 PA 174.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: