China ships 30,000 tons of ammonia to Morocco

China has dispatched 30,000 tons of liquid ammonia from Nanjing to Morocco, establishing a new direct shipping route to support the kingdom’s fertilizer industry. The shipment, handled by Chinese supplier Jiangsu Andefu, traveled over 10,000 nautical miles via the Cape of Good Hope aboard the Arlon, a Belgian-owned vessel capable of using ammonia as fuel.

While Morocco holds over 70% of the world’s known phosphate rock reserves, it lacks the fossil fuels required to produce synthetic ammonia at scale. Consequently, the country remains a major importer, spending approximately $1.77 billion on 3.7 million tons of ammonia in 2024. The OCP Group, a global leader in phosphate fertilizers, relies on these imports to produce nitrogen-rich fertilizers like DAP and MAP.

This new trade route aims to diversify Morocco’s supply chain and mitigate risks from market volatility and price spikes. The move follows a significant increase in imports from China, which saw Morocco take in over 51,000 tons in May 2026. While Morocco is investing $13 billion in renewable energy to produce green ammonia by 2027, it will continue to rely on international imports in the interim.