Australia's Fertilizer Pivot: How the Iran War Reached the Farm
How a second geopolitical supply shock is forcing Australia to scramble for urea imports essential to its $30B agricultural export industry
250k tons
UREA SECURED
Indonesia emergency deal, 2025
92%
AUSTRALIA DEPENDENCE
of urea fertilizer imported
18%
IRAN SHARE (pre-war)
of Asia-Pacific urea exports
+47%
PRICE SPIKE
urea cost since conflict began
Australia Urea Fertilizer Imports (2000–2025)
Understanding the Crisis
Data sources: IFA, UN Comtrade, Australian ABARES, World Bank
Data sources
Fertilizer Outlook 2023–2024· International Fertilizer AssociationAustralian Agricultural Trade Data· Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and ForestryUN Comtrade Fertilizer Flows· United Nations Statistics DivisionUrea Price Assessments· S&P Global PlattsPT Pupuk Indonesia Annual Report· PT Pupuk Indonesia Holding Company