Did you or your company purchase nitrogen, phosphate, or potash fertilizers directly from a fertilizer producer at any time since January 1, 2021? 

Grabar Law Office is investigating potential antitrust claims on behalf of farmers, agricultural retailers, fertilizer mixers, farm partnerships, and other direct purchasers of fertilizer who may have paid inflated prices for nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizers.

On March 4, 2026, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division is investigating whether major fertilizer producers colluded to raise prices in violation of civil or criminal antitrust laws, and that the reported investigation involved nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizers (collectively “NPK fertilizers”).

Additionally, class action complaints have now been filed in federal that court allege that several of the largest fertilizer producers and sellers of NPK fertilizers conspired to fix, raise, maintain, and/or stabilize prices for NPK fertilizers sold in the United States. The complaints further allege that direct purchasers of these critical inputs for American agriculture paid artificially inflated, supra-competitive prices beginning no later than January 1, 2021.

About the Investigation

The investigation concerns alleged anticompetitive conduct by major producers of NPK fertilizers—the fertilizers that provide the three key nutrients crops need most:

• Nitrogen fertilizers
• Phosphate fertilizers
• Potash fertilizers

Defendants include:

• The Mosaic Company;
• Nutrien Ltd.; Nutrien AG Solutions, Inc.;
• CF Industries Holdings, Inc.; CF Industries, Inc.; CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC;
• Koch Agronomic Services, LLC;
• Yara International Asa; Yara North America, Inc.; and
• Canpotex Ltd

The defendants are among the largest producers of NPK fertilizers in the United States, and the markets for these fertilizers are highly concentrated. In fact, Defendants CF Industries, Nutrien, Koch, and Yara control approximately 80% of the nitrogen fertilizer market in the United States, while Nutrien and Mosaic allegedly control approximately 90% of the phosphorus and potash markets.

Allegations

It is alleged that, beginning in or around 2021, fertilizer prices departed from historical norms, rose dramatically during 2021 and 2022, and remained elevated even after claimed supply shocks subsided. It is alleged that U.S. farmers paid over 60% more for NPK fertilizers during the 2021–2022 spike, adding an estimated $128,000 in costs per farm in 2022.

It is further alleged that major fertilizer producers engaged in unlawful conduct designed to restrict supply and increase prices when they:

• curbed production and idled available capacity;
• delayed or limited production expansions despite high prices;
• managed inventory to maintain artificial scarcity; and
• avoided meaningful output increases even as fertilizer prices surged.

It is further alleged that fertilizer prices across nitrogen, phosphate, and potash products moved in parallel, and that defendant companies experienced substantial profit increases during the same period.

Reported Government Scrutiny

On March 4, 2026, Bloomberg Law reported that the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division was investigating whether fertilizer producers colluded to raise prices in violation of civil or criminal antitrust laws, and that the reported investigation involved nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizers.

Who May Be Affected

If you or your business directly purchased nitrogen, phosphate, or potash fertilizers from one or more of the major producers listed above since January 1, 2021, you likely have a claim.

Affected purchasers include:

• farmers and growers;
• agricultural retailers;
• fertilizer mixers;
• members of farming associations;
• farm and planting partnerships or companies; and
• Chemical or fertilizer distributors.

Possible Claims

Antitrust laws are designed to protect purchasers and markets from unlawful price-fixing, supply restraint, and other conduct that distorts competition.

If you or your business purchased nitrogen, phosphate, or potash fertilizers directly from one or more major suppliers since January 1, 2021, you may have claims to recover damages, seek injunctive relief, and a court approved incentive or service awards at no cost to you.

A standard no-cost retainer letter can be viewed here: NPK Fertilizer Antitrust Retainer Letter

If you would like to learn more about this matter, you are encouraged to contact Joshua Grabar at jgrabar@grabarlaw.com or call us at 267-507-6085.