China is running the same strategy now with fertilizer that they have used to dominate other sectors of the world economy. 1) Buy up raw materials from other countries 2) Ban exports of finished product 3) Use state subsidized companies to outbid private buyers. 4) Put other companies out of business 5) China then dominates the market The issue is sulfur. China is weaponizing their domination of the sulfuric acid market. Oil companies strip sulfur out of crude oil. Chemical plants turn it into sulfuric acid, then that acid is used to dissolve phosphate rock into the fertilizer that grows corn, soybeans and wheat. Without sulfur, we can't produce the crop yields we need. The USA should be fully independent. Texas refineries make the sulfur. Phosphate mines in Florida and Idaho are available. However instead the USA exports about 2 million metric tons of sulfur every year and China is the #1 buyer. At the same time China bans the exports of it's own fertilizer and sulfuric acid, hoarding the finished product for itself. When state backed Chinese firms bid higher, US refineries have every incentive to export the sulfur instead of supplying it to American fertilizer companies. This strategy by China is putting our farmers at the mercy of China to grow their crops. China is buying the raw materials at a loss in order to dominate the market and weaking USA fertilizer companies. Food security is national security. We cannot feed our country if a rival controls our food supply. Washington needs to block Chinese state-owned companies from buying American sulfur while China blocks American access to their fertilizer market. Level the playing field so that American companies are not competing against the Chinese government.(Wall Street Mav)