Phosphate Rock
Phosphate rock — the mineral feedstock for phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizer production. Described for reference, including why China is a net importer rather than a supplier.
28–32% P2O5 Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH) Ground rock
Industry information — not currently offered
Phosphate rock is the starting point of the entire phosphate chain. It is mined, beneficiated and then either attacked with sulfuric acid to make phosphoric acid or ground and applied directly. Its P2O5 content, its carbonate and silica levels and its hardness determine what a plant can do with it.
China holds substantial reserves and is one of the largest producers, but it is not a phosphate rock exporter in the way Morocco or Russia are. Domestic policy has restricted exports for years, and Chinese consumers import rock and concentrate to feed their own acid plants. A buyer looking for phosphate rock should not expect to source it from China.
This page is included because the question comes up constantly from buyers who assume that a country that exports MAP and DAP must also export rock. It does not follow, and treating it as though it did wastes a buying cycle.
Specification
The table below gives the nominal analysis and the parameters that a buyer should write into the contract. Values that depend on the production lot are not printed as numbers here, because a number on a website is not a guarantee — the lot COA is.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| P2O5 | Typically 28–32% in traded beneficiated rock Highly source-dependent |
| CaO | Confirmed per lot — see TDS / COA |
| SiO2 | Confirmed per lot — see TDS / COA |
| Carbonate (CO2) | Confirmed per lot — see TDS / COA |
| Moisture | Confirmed per lot — see TDS / COA |
| Particle size | Confirmed per lot — see TDS / COA Ground rock and lump rock are different products |
Typical values describe the grade as it is normally traded. The guaranteed analysis for your order is the one stated on the certificate of analysis issued for the production lot, and it is confirmed in the sales contract before shipment.
Reference only: This product is described so buyers can understand the grade and where it sits in the phosphate chain. We do not currently offer it, and no quotation entry point is provided on this page.
Applications
- Phosphoric acid production (wet process)
- Single superphosphate manufacture
- Direct application on acid tropical soils
- Animal feed phosphate manufacture, after defluorination
Why this product, and not the one next to it
The base of the chain
Rock quality sets the achievable analysis and the impurity profile of everything downstream, which is why acid producers buy on specification rather than on P2O5 alone.
Not a Chinese export
Understanding that China imports rather than exports rock prevents a wasted sourcing cycle and points a buyer to the origins that actually ship it.
Packaging options
- Bulk in vessel
- Jumbo bags, for container parcels
Loading quantity depends on packaging, container type and the weight limit of the destination country. It is confirmed per order. The bag type, bag weight, liner and marks are stated on the quotation so that two offers can be compared on the same basis.
Quality documentation
- Certificate of analysis for the shipment
- Certificate of origin
- Radioactivity declaration, where required by the destination
Documents are issued on a per-shipment basis. Certification availability is confirmed for each order before contract.
Export considerations
China is a net importer of phosphate rock, not a supplier of it. This page is reference material and carries no quotation entry point.
Phosphate rock can carry naturally occurring radioactivity. Several destinations require a declaration or a limit on specific activity, and this is checked before a cargo is booked, not after.
Direct application of rock is only effective on acid soils with a suitable rock reactivity. It is not a general substitute for a processed phosphate fertilizer.
Export regulations and import requirements can change. This is a general overview written for buyers, not a substitute for confirming current requirements with your customs broker and with our export team before you commit to a shipment.
Questions buyers ask about Rock
Can I buy phosphate rock from China?
Realistically, no. Chinese policy has restricted phosphate rock exports for years and the country is a net importer of rock and concentrate for its own acid plants. Buyers needing rock should look to North African, Middle Eastern and Russian origins.
What P2O5 content is normal in traded rock?
Beneficiated rock is commonly traded in the high twenties to low thirties as P2O5, but the figure is only meaningful alongside the carbonate, silica and hardness numbers, because those decide what the buyer's plant can process.
Compared with
Comparing two offers on the same cargo?
Send both specifications and we will tell you where they genuinely differ — basis of analysis, granule size, packaging, loaded quantity — and where the difference is only presentation.