Promoting the National Defense by Ensuring an Adequate Supply of Elemental Phosphorus and Glyphosate- Based Herbicides

Key Points

• 1Elemental phosphorus is identified as critical to defense manufacturing (military devices, semiconductors, batteries) and as a precursor for glyphosate-based herbicides used in agriculture
• 2The order cites concerns that the U.S. has only one domestic producer of elemental phosphorus, currently requiring imports of over 6 million kilograms annually, creating supply vulnerability
• 3The Secretary of Agriculture is granted authority under the Defense Production Act to allocate materials, contract priorities, and implement production requirements to ensure adequate supplies
• 4The order emphasizes that glyphosate-based herbicides are essential to U.S. agricultural productivity, food security, and rural economy with no direct chemical alternatives