Lodi Eye
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The Fertilizer Emergency: What Trump's Phosphate Declaration Means for U.S. Crops
On June 29, 2026, Trump declared a national emergency over U.S. fertilizer supplies and suspended countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate fertilizer for up to eight months.
The move follows five months of disruption. The February 2026 Iran war closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a third of the world's traded fertilizer and half its sulfur.
USDA projects the suspension will cut phosphate prices 22% and save farmers $1.82 billion a year. Independent analysts and the domestic producer, Mosaic, dispute how fast that relief actually shows up.
San Joaquin County is not a Midwest row-crop county. Milk, almonds, and grapes are its top commodities, not corn and soybeans, so the direct financial effect here is different, and mostly indirect.
Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump's Sweeping Tariffs
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping global tariffs. The ruling invalidates the "reciprocal" tariffs from Liberation Day and the duties on Canada, Mexico, and China tied to fentanyl trafficking — but leaves sector-specific tariffs under other statutes in place.