Global Urea Fertilizer Production and Export Data

Urea is the most traded nitrogen fertilizer, and its supply follows natural gas. Production is concentrated in countries with cheap gas, while demand is spread across farming regions that often have little gas of their own. That gap creates a large international trade. This page brings together urea fertilizer production and export data from official sources, and explains what the numbers show and where they fall short.

All figures carry a source and a period. Where data is missing or estimated, we say so.

Production: where nitrogen fertilizer is made

Urea is made from ammonia, so ammonia production is the best public guide to where urea capacity sits. The U.S. Geological Survey publishes country estimates every year.

Two things to keep in mind. First, these are ammonia figures. Countries turn ammonia into different products, so a large ammonia producer is not always a large urea exporter. Trinidad and Tobago, for example, exports a lot of ammonia itself. Second, the biggest producers, China and India, use most of their output at home.

The USGS also reported that a nitrogen plant in Trinidad and Tobago, producing about 55,000 tonnes of urea a month, began a controlled shutdown in October 2025 because of port access and gas supply problems. Events like this can shift regional supply quickly.

Exports: who ships urea abroad

What the table shows:

• China’s exports collapsed from 4.25 million tonnes in 2023 to about 0.26 million tonnes in 2024. When China steps back, other origins fill the gap and prices react.
• Saudi Arabia grew strongly, from 3.39 to 4.44 million tonnes.
• Nigeria, Oman, Egypt and Malaysia were steady, each shipping roughly the same volume in both years.
• Russia and Qatar remain major sources, even though their official data is missing for 2024.

Countries that reported to UN Comtrade declared about 30.7 million tonnes of urea exports in 2024. Adding partner-reported shipments from Russia and Qatar brings the visible total to roughly 45 million tonnes. The true total is higher, because Iran and some smaller exporters are missing.

Imports: where the urea goes

The largest importers reporting tonnage in 2024 were Brazil (8.3 million tonnes), the United States (5.1 million tonnes), Australia (3.9 million tonnes) and Thailand (2.6 million tonnes). India is also a top buyer, reporting imports worth about US$2.16 billion in 2024. See urea importers and buyers.

Main trade flows in 2024

The picture is clear. Gulf and Russian urea crosses the world to Brazil, the US and India. Egyptian urea stays close to home in the Mediterranean. Saudi urea goes heavily to Southeast Asia and Australia.

Full urea country dataset

The table below brings together every country that reported urea trade to UN Comtrade for 2023 or 2024, with average values and USGS ammonia estimates. Search for a country, filter to exporters, importers or major producers, sort any column, or download it as a CSV file.

How to read urea trade data

• Reporting gaps: some major exporters do not report every year. Partner data helps, but misses trade with non-reporting buyers.
• Re-exports: European countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium report exports that include re-traded urea.
• Timing: annual data is published with a delay, so the latest complete year is usually one or two years back.
• Units: USGS reports nitrogen content; Comtrade reports product weight. Do not mix them.

For how this feeds into prices, see urea prices by country.

What it means for buyers and sellers

Supply is concentrated, so disruptions in one region, such as export controls, sanctions, gas shortages or plant shutdowns, ripple through prices everywhere. Buyers reduce risk by qualifying more than one origin and agreeing clear contract terms. Sellers use the import data to target markets that buy consistently.

For the producers behind these numbers, see our urea manufacturers database, and for sourcing, urea suppliers and exporters by country.

Trading urea with Agromer

Agromer has been an international commodity trader since 1985, based in Saint-Avertin, France. We trade urea with major producers on spot and contract terms, and we work with an end-buyer LOI, payment by 100% DLC or SBLC, and SGS inspection at loading. Send us the product form, specification, quantity, packaging and destination port. See also our urea fertilizer page and how urea is made.

Frequently asked questions

How much urea is traded internationally each year?

Countries reporting to UN Comtrade declared about 30.7 million tonnes of exports in 2024. Including partner-reported shipments from Russia and Qatar, the visible total is roughly 45 million tonnes, and the true figure is higher.

Which country produces the most nitrogen fertilizer?

China, with an estimated 49 million tonnes of nitrogen in ammonia in 2025, according to the USGS.

Which country exports the most urea?

Russia, with at least 9 million tonnes in 2024 based on partner-reported imports, followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Why did China’s urea exports fall?

China reported 4.25 million tonnes of exports in 2023 and about 0.26 million tonnes in 2024, during a period of tighter government control of fertilizer exports.

Where can I find official urea trade statistics?

UN Comtrade publishes customs data by country under HS code 310210. The USGS publishes annual nitrogen production estimates.

Why don’t the totals match between sources?

Sources measure different things, such as nitrogen content versus product weight, and some countries do not report every year.

Related urea guides: Urea Manufacturers Database · Urea Suppliers and Exporters by Country · Urea Importers and Buyers · Urea Prices by Country