The White House has moved to secure domestic supplies of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides, invoking the Defense Production Act (DPA) and directing the US Agriculture Secretary to set nationwide priorities and allocate production.

In an executive order signed today, President Donald Trump frames both products as essential to US national security. The order cites elemental phosphorus as a key input for military smoke, illumination and incendiary devices, as well as for semiconductors, batteries and other defence technologies. It also calls glyphosate a cornerstone of US agricultural productivity, arguing there is no direct one-for-one chemical substitute and that reduced access would undermine food supply.

The order says the United States has only a single domestic producer of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides and still imports more than 6,000,000 kilograms of elemental phosphorus annually. It warns that any future reduction or loss of domestic production would “gravely threaten” national security by weakening defence supply chains and agriculture.

Under the directive:

• The Agriculture Secretary is delegated the President’s DPA authority to prioritise contracts and allocate “materials, services, and facilities” to ensure adequate supply.
• The Secretary is to act “in consultation with the Secretary of War,” and to issue any rules and orders needed to implement the move.
• Any action must not place the “corporate viability of any domestic producer” at risk.
• Immunity provisions under section 707 of the DPA apply, and domestic producers are required to comply under existing USDA regulations (7 C.F.R. part 789).

The Interior Department designated phosphate a critical mineral in November 2025, a finding the order leans on to argue elemental phosphorus is “scarce” and central to defence and food-security objectives.

What it means for New Zealand

• Global markets: US efforts to ring‑fence and expand domestic supply could shift trade flows for phosphorus and glyphosate and influence prices. New Zealand farms and councils are significant users of glyphosate, and fertiliser suppliers depend on imported phosphate rock.
• Farm input costs: Any price or availability changes for glyphosate and phosphorus-linked products tend to pass through quickly to on-farm costs. The order’s priority-allocation powers could tighten non‑US supply in the short term if US buyers bid more aggressively.
• Timing and detail: The order does not set production targets or timelines. The scale and speed of any market impact will depend on how quickly the Agriculture Secretary issues allocation orders or incentives and whether US producers can expand output.

What we don’t know yet

• Specific priority rules and which producers, importers or distributors will be covered.
• How long the allocation and priority measures will remain in place.
• Whether the order will be paired with funding, permitting changes or procurement commitments to accelerate US capacity.

Why it matters Phosphorus sits at the crossover of defence manufacturing and food production. Glyphosate remains one of the most widely used herbicides in commercial farming globally. A US move to use DPA authorities for both signals Washington expects supply risk and is willing to intervene in industrial inputs that underpin yields, costs and, by extension, food prices. For New Zealand producers operating on tight margins, any renewed volatility in glyphosate or phosphate-linked costs is material.

The Agriculture Department is now expected to issue implementing rules.