Industry structure / September 5, 2026
U.S. Phosphate Industry Consolidation
In 1990, the United States had 18 fertilizer phosphate producers. Through mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, asset sales, and divestitures, the industry has consolidated into four major U.S. phosphate operators in 2026: J.R. Simplot Company, The Mosaic Company, Nutrien, and Itafos.
This FertiTrend graphic traces the major roll-ups that produced today's industry structure, including the formation of Mosaic and Nutrien and the divestiture of Conda to Itafos.
At a glance
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. had 18 fertilizer phosphate producers in 1990.
- By 2026, four major operators remain: J.R. Simplot Company, The Mosaic Company, Nutrien, and Itafos.
- The Mosaic Company was formed in 2004 through the combination of Cargill Fertilizer and IMC Global.
- Nutrien was formed in 2018 through the merger of PotashCorp and Agrium.
- Agrium's Conda assets were divested to Itafos as a condition of the Nutrien transaction.
Major pathways
How the Industry Consolidated
Simplot roll-up
J.R. Simplot Company expanded through the Simplot/Farmland joint venture, Chevron Resources acquisition, and later full ownership of the joint venture.
Cargill + IMC → Mosaic
Cargill Fertilizer and IMC Global combined in 2004 to establish The Mosaic Company, which later added additional phosphate assets.
PotashCorp + Agrium → Nutrien
PotashCorp and Agrium combined in 2018 to establish Nutrien, bringing their phosphate operations into the same company.
Conda divestiture → Itafos
Agrium's Conda assets were sold to Itafos in January 2018 as a condition of the Nutrien merger.
Bankruptcies and closures
Several remaining legacy producers exited through bankruptcy or closure rather than becoming part of the four current operators.
Scope: Excludes elemental phosphorus (P4) producers.