Who imports DAP into India?

National fertiliser companies and co-operatives, private manufacturers and marketers, and Indian Potash Limited, which runs the large import tenders in separate east-coast and west-coast lots. Imported DAP is sold under the nutrient-based subsidy scheme, so the importer must be registered to claim the subsidy. CBIL quotes private importers and their suppliers and does not bid in government or state-enterprise tenders.

Who replaced Saudi supply in 2026?

Morocco, Jordan and Egypt, the United States and South Korea, with Saudi product reaching India through Red Sea and Omani ports rather than Gulf terminals. Chinese exports stayed restricted through August 2026. Freight from Oman to India is roughly half the rate from the Saudi Red Sea.

What specification must imported DAP meet?

The Fertiliser (Control) Order specification for DAP 18-46-0: total nitrogen 18% min with ammoniacal nitrogen 15.5% min, neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphate 46% min, water-soluble phosphate 41% min, and 90% of the material between 1 mm and 4 mm. Samples are drawn again at the Indian port, and a cargo that fails cannot be sold as DAP.

What parcel sizes are workable?

Supramax and Panamax parcels of 30,000 to 60,000 t, bulk, bagged at the discharge port. Tender lots have been as small as 15,000 t part-cargoes. The discharge port, its draft on the laycan and the bagging rate are written into the offer.

Can CBIL also fix the ship?

Yes. Our chartering desk, LaycanDesk, prices Supramax tonnage from Jorf Lasfar, Aqaba and the Red Sea to both Indian coasts, so a CFR and an FOB figure can be shown side by side.

Indian Ocean · India

DAP Suppliers CFR India (Kandla, Mundra, Kakinada, Paradip)

The world's largest DAP import market, re-sourced in 2026 at USD 930-935 per tonne CFR

India declared 6,434,200 t of DAP imports in 2025 at a landed value of USD 4.9 billion, about USD 763 per tonne, up from 4,622,000 t in 2024. Saudi Arabia supplied 2.68 million t (42%), Morocco 1.66 million t (26%), China 9%, Australia 6%, Jordan 3% and Egypt 1%. Saudi phosphate loads inside the Gulf. The Strait of Hormuz has been severely restricted since 28 February 2026: loadings inside the Gulf move irregularly and are confirmed cargo by cargo. Imports from January to April 2026 were about 380,000 t against a five-year average of about 1.12 million t for those months, with April at 49,000 t and May at 132,000 t. In May, Indian Potash Limited closed a tender for 1.35 million t at USD 935 per tonne CFR east coast and USD 930 CFR west coast, loading by 15 August, against USD 865 on earlier business; 2.33 million t was offered, from the United States, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Red Sea loadings among others. A further 100,000 t of Moroccan DAP was bought at the same levels in June, a netback in the USD 880s FOB Morocco. April to June imports reached 711,000 t, national DAP stocks stood at 1.64 million t at the end of July, and the kharif 2026 subsidy on DAP was set at Rs 32,787 per tonne.

DAP for India discharges on both coasts: Kandla and Mundra in Gujarat, and Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Krishnapatnam and Paradip on the east coast, in Supramax and Panamax parcels bagged at the port in 50 kg bags. Product must meet the Fertiliser (Control) Order specification for DAP 18-46-0: total nitrogen 18% min, of which ammoniacal nitrogen 15.5% min, citrate-soluble phosphate 46% min and water-soluble phosphate 41% min, with granule size to the Order. CBIL brokers DAP from Jorf Lasfar in Morocco, Aqaba in Jordan and the Egyptian Red Sea and Mediterranean ports on CFR terms, with SGS or Intertek certification at load and the producer named before any offer. CBIL does not bid in government or state-enterprise tenders. A private importer that states its tonnage, discharge port, laycan and LC-opening bank gets a firm answer; one without them gets a question first.

Need the ship as well? Our chartering desk prices Oman and Red Sea to India sulphur and fertiliser freight on LaycanDesk.

The market in figures

Declared imports: 2025: 6,434,200 t, USD 4.9 billion, USD 763/t · 2024: 4,622,000 t
Origins, 2025: Saudi Arabia 42% · Morocco 26% · China 9% · Australia 6% · Jordan 3% · Egypt 1%
2026 imports: April 49,000 t · May 132,000 t · April-June 711,000 t · stocks 1.64 Mt at end July
2026 price: USD 935/t CFR east coast, USD 930/t CFR west coast (May-June), from USD 865/t
Specification: FCO DAP 18-46-0: N 18% min · P2O5 46% min, water-soluble 41% min · granule size to the Order
Discharge ports: Kandla, Mundra · Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Krishnapatnam, Paradip

Landed values are the importing country's declared CIF, not CBIL prices.

Questions buyers ask

Who imports DAP into India?: National fertiliser companies and co-operatives, private manufacturers and marketers, and Indian Potash Limited, which runs the large import tenders in separate east-coast and west-coast lots. Imported DAP is sold under the nutrient-based subsidy scheme, so the importer must be registered to claim the subsidy. CBIL quotes private importers and their suppliers and does not bid in government or state-enterprise tenders.
Who replaced Saudi supply in 2026?: Morocco, Jordan and Egypt, the United States and South Korea, with Saudi product reaching India through Red Sea and Omani ports rather than Gulf terminals. Chinese exports stayed restricted through August 2026. Freight from Oman to India is roughly half the rate from the Saudi Red Sea.
What specification must imported DAP meet?: The Fertiliser (Control) Order specification for DAP 18-46-0: total nitrogen 18% min with ammoniacal nitrogen 15.5% min, neutral ammonium citrate soluble phosphate 46% min, water-soluble phosphate 41% min, and 90% of the material between 1 mm and 4 mm. Samples are drawn again at the Indian port, and a cargo that fails cannot be sold as DAP.
What parcel sizes are workable?: Supramax and Panamax parcels of 30,000 to 60,000 t, bulk, bagged at the discharge port. Tender lots have been as small as 15,000 t part-cargoes. The discharge port, its draft on the laycan and the bagging rate are written into the offer.
Can CBIL also fix the ship?: Yes. Our chartering desk, LaycanDesk, prices Supramax tonnage from Jorf Lasfar, Aqaba and the Red Sea to both Indian coasts, so a CFR and an FOB figure can be shown side by side.