chemical · input

Urea (Granular/Prilled, 46% N)

The world's most widely used solid nitrogen fertilizer at 46% nitrogen. Produced from ammonia + CO₂ in a two-step process. Granular urea is the primary traded form globally. China and Russia together account for ~39% of global urea production. Russia maintained 18.7% of total global fertilizer exports by value as of 2023 despite Western sanctions — the single largest national share.

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Source countries

10

Companies

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Goods affected

0

Claims on record

What depends on it

Goods that need this input

1 essential American goods rely on urea (granular/prilled, 46% n) somewhere upstream in their supply chain.

Where it comes from

Source countries

Share of global supply, by country.

CountryShare of supply
CNChina25%
RURussia14%
INIndia11%
QAQatar5%
EGEgypt3%

Who makes it

Supplier companies

10 companies produce urea (granular/prilled, 46% n).

CF Industries Holdings(CF)

HQ US6% share

One of the world's largest ammonia producers; Donaldsonville Complex (Louisiana) is the world's largest single ammonia production complex — 4.335M MT/year capacity, 6 plants on 1,400 acres along the Mississippi River. Produced 9.8M MT gross ammonia in 2024 across all facilities. Also operates plants in Iowa, Louisiana, Courtright (Ontario Canada), Ince (UK), Billingham (UK). Added CO2 capture at Donaldsonville (2025) enabling ~1.9M MT/year 'low-carbon ammonia' for export to Japan/Korea. Joint venture with JERA + Mitsui for $4B 'blue ammonia' plant in Louisiana.

Nutrien Ltd.(NTR)

HQ CA6% share

World's largest agricultural nutrient company by revenue; formed from Potash Corp and Agrium merger (2018). Largest potash producer globally (20% market share); 55–60% of North American potash mining. Also major nitrogen fertilizer producer. 27.5 Mt/year combined N+P+K capacity.

PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero)

HQ ID6% share

Indonesia's state-owned fertilizer holding company with 5 operating subsidiaries (Pupuk Kaltim, Pupuk Sriwidjaja, Pupuk Kujang, Pupuk Iskandar Muda, Petrokimia Gresik). Combined urea capacity ~8.5 million tonnes/year, making Pupuk Indonesia the world's largest state-owned urea producer and controlling ~5.7% of the global urea market.

Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO)

HQ QA5% share

Joint venture majority owned by QatarEnergy (75%) with Yara International (25%). QAFCO operates the world's largest single-site ammonia/urea complex at Mesaieed, Qatar, with 3.8 million tonnes/year ammonia capacity across six trains. Feedstock is domestic North Field natural gas — among the cheapest in the world.

SABIC Agri-Nutrients

HQ SA5% share

Saudi Arabian ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer producer; subsidiary of SABIC (Saudi Aramco majority owner). Plants at Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia. Produces ammonia using Saudi natural gas feedstock at highly competitive cost. Major exporter to Asia-Pacific. Building 6th facility: 1.2M MT/year low-carbon 'blue' ammonia + 1.1M MT/year urea. Saudi Arabia and Qatar together are primary Middle East ammonia producers (~4-5% of global capacity combined).

EuroChem Group AG

HQ RU3% share

Russia's largest nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer company; major ammonia producer. Plants include Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol), Novomoskovsk (Tula Oblast), and the Antwerp, Belgium nitrogen plant. Also produces potash. Controlled by Andrei Melnichenko (personal EU/UK sanctions 2022; sold his stake to a trust). Swiss holding structure. Significant European presence complicated by Melnichenko sanctions.

Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO)

HQ IN3% share

World's largest fertilizer cooperative, owned by 36,000+ member Indian agricultural cooperatives. Operates five plants at Kalol, Kandla, Phulpur, Aonla, and Paradeep with ~3.8 million tonnes/year urea capacity. IFFCO pioneered nano urea (liquid urea formulation) commercialization in 2021 as India's strategy to reduce import dependency.

Yara International

HQ NO3% share

World's largest nitrogen fertilizer company; Norwegian state partial ownership; produces urea, nitrate, and NPK fertilizers critical for rice production globally

OCI N.V.

HQ NL2% share

Major nitrogen fertilizer and ammonia company with plants in the US (OCI Beaumont TX, formerly Iowa Fertilizer Company), Netherlands (OCI Nitrogen, Geleen), Algeria (Fertial), and Egypt (EBIC). Also produces methanol. One of the largest merchant ammonia producers globally. Sold its US nitrogen business to Koch Ag & Energy Solutions in January 2024 for $3.6B, focusing its remaining assets on Netherlands, Algeria, and international methanol. Major shift in US ammonia market as OCI Iowa/Beaumont transferred to Koch.

Uralchem / TogliattiAzot (ToAz)

HQ RU

Russian nitrogen/ammonia holding company controlling TogliattiAzot (ToAz) — formerly the world's largest single ammonia plant (2M+ MT/year capacity). ToAz exported 2M MT/year via the 2,471km Togliatti-Odessa pipeline to the Black Sea port of Odessa (Pivdenny). Pipeline shut since Russia invaded Ukraine (February 2022). Uralchem reported 'colossal losses' from the shutdown. Before the war, ToAz ammonia represented ~1.3% of global supply from a single facility. Controlled by Dmitry Mazepin (personal EU sanctions). Russia demands pipeline reopening as condition for grain corridor deals.