Herbicides

Weedkillers such as glyphosate, glufosinate, 2,4-D and atrazine: the largest crop protection class, mostly generic and mostly made in China.

Fine chemicals · Crop protection · No. 98

• Product family
• Feedstock: Minerals and salts
• about 1.8-2.0 Mt of active ingredient a year (indicative, basis: about half of world pesticide use of about 3.7 Mt a.i. in 2022, FAOSTAT)
• HS 380893

When a Chinese flood and power curbs hit in 2021, the price of the world's top weedkiller nearly tripled.

Chart: Illustration: Herbicides

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Phosphate rock becomes yellow phosphorus in electric furnaces, then joins glycine and formaldehyde to make glyphosate; each tonne holds about 0.18 t of phosphorus.

Three things to know

1. Soybeans take about 25% of herbicide spending, as herbicide-tolerant crops in Brazil, the US and Argentina are sprayed with glyphosate.
2. Glufosinate, glyphosate's main rival, crashed from $50,162/t in November 2021 to $6,472/t after Chinese capacity tripled.
3. The EU renewed glyphosate in November 2023, allowing its use until December 2033.

The journey

1. 1 Basic mineralsPhosphate rock, salt, gas or coal
2. 2 IntermediatesPhosphorus chemicals, glycine, chloroacetic acid
3. 3 Technical gradeSynthesised to 95-98% active ingredient
4. 4 FormulationMixed into salts, liquids and granules
5. 5 Farm fieldsSprayed on soybeans, maize, cereals, rice

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