Lifosa remains major importer of Saharawi phosphate
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The Lithuanian fertilizer company Lifosa has received at least seven bulk shipments so far in 2013. WSRW asks them to terminate its voluminous imports.
Published 27 August 2013


Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) estimates that Lifosa AB, a subsidiary of the Russian firm Eurochem, has received around 295,000 tonnes of phosphate rock from the Bou Craa mines in occupied Western Sahara this year.

Assaying the average value of phosphate in the year to date at around USD 170/tonne, the company has sponsored the Moroccan treasury with approximately USD 50 million in exchange for phosphate rock originating in the parts of Western Sahara that have been occupied by Morocco since 1975. That amount is higher than what the international community spends annually on multilateral humanitarian aid to the Saharawi refugees in Algeria - the legitimate owners of the phosphates that Lifosa is purchasing.

Seven bulk carriers have delivered the Saharan yellow gold to Lifosa at the port of Klaipeda, Lithuania: the m.v. Hemus and the m.v. Slavnik have both made two trips up north, while the m.v. Usolie, the m.v. Balgarka and the m.v. Imperius each are responsible for a single shipment.

Its massive imports bestow Lifosa with the title of second largest importer to date this year, its purchase volumnes only surpassed by US-Canadian fertilizer producer Potash Corporation.

Today, with a cargo of around 40.000 tonnes arriving in the port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, and with another 25.000 tonnes on the way, WSRW has asked Lifosa in a letter "to immediately terminate its imports".

In June 2011, Lifosa was kicked out of the UN Global Compact initiative on Corporate Social Responsibility for refusing to answer WSRW’s question whether the company would consider refraining from buying phosphates from Western Sahara. The company's sizeable imports have now answered the question for them.

New report: Western Sahara phosphate trade halved

The export of phosphate rock from occupied Western Sahara has never been lower than in 2019. This is revealed in the new WSRW report P for Plunder, published today.

24 February 2020

Eurochem's reply to WSRW - 4 February 2020

In response to WSRW's letter to EuroChem of 3 December 2019, the company responded not to have imported in 2019 and having no plans to do so in the future.
04 February 2020

EuroChem letter to WSRW, 28.03.2018 - sent 05.04.2018

EuroChem's reply of 28 March 2018 to WSRW, stating they "have no plans to purchase supplies from Western Sahara". EuroChem's subsidiary Lifosa AB received its last shipment of the conflict mineral in October 2016, despite earlier statements they'd halt all further imports from the territory.
03 December 2019