OCP prepares a $450 million plant in the United States, the first since 1984
OCP is taking a new step in the United States. Its North American subsidiary is preparing a phosphate fertilizer plant in Louisiana with agricultural giant CHS, for an investment that could reach $450 million and a capacity of more than one million tonnes per year.
The project is to be built in Waggaman, near New Orleans, within the Cornerstone Energy Park. In its official announcement, CHS describes the future facility as the first plant of its kind built in the United States since 1984.
OCP North America, a subsidiary of the Moroccan group, and CHS, the first farmer-owned agricultural cooperative in the United States, are preparing to create a joint venture for this purpose.
The investment could reach $450 million. The plant is expected to produce more than one million metric tonnes of phosphate fertilizers each year. OCP will notably supply the phosphoric acid required for production, while the fertilizers will be marketed through the networks of CHS and OCP North America.
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The choice of Louisiana is not insignificant. The site already has industrial infrastructure and, above all, access to the Mississippi, which will make it possible to transport fertilizers to the major American agricultural regions.
CHS estimates that this new capacity could reduce American dependence on phosphate fertilizer imports by more than 48%. The United States currently imports approximately 40% of the volumes used by its farmers.
A United States that had closed its market to OCP
The announcement takes on particular significance in light of the turbulent relations between OCP and the American market. Starting in 2021, countervailing duties severely limited imports of Moroccan fertilizers following proceedings initiated by American producer Mosaic.
The situation shifted in 2026. Faced with supply tensions and high prices, American agricultural organizations had called for the return of Moroccan phosphate. The Trump administration subsequently temporarily suspended the duties imposed on certain Moroccan fertilizers.
This opening enabled OCP to resume its deliveries. On August 17, a vessel carrying approximately 54,000 tonnes of Moroccan TSP arrived at the port of New Orleans, according to OCP North America.
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With the Waggaman project, OCP would therefore no longer simply ship its fertilizers from Morocco: the group would participate directly in their production on American soil. Phosphoric acid would continue to be supplied by OCP, while the final processing would be carried out in the United States.
The future plant is expected to create approximately 60 permanent jobs and 500 jobs during its construction. CHS estimates its total impact at 924 direct and indirect jobs.
Construction could take up to 24 months. However, the facility is not yet definitively secured: the project remains subject to the necessary approvals and the finalization of its financing. In particular, a request for support has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture under its program aimed at developing domestic fertilizer production.