Farmers Should Anticipate Tariff Price Increases on Ag Chemicals, Says FBN Report

Price discrepancies for agricultural chemicals are decreasing, according to Farmers Business Network (FBN) 2025 Ag Chemical Price Transparency Report. The 2025 report collected more than 1,390 data points from farms across 26 states. 

“The difference between the high price and the low price is getting smaller over time,” said John Appel, FBN senior director of category management. “The market’s getting more competitive and this survey is a tool to get a fair shake in conversations with retailers.”

Market Trends

The 2025 report notes that prices are down compared to years past. However, with a 10% tariff in place for goods important from China and the potential for additional tariffs for Canada and Mexico, the potential for increased prices exists. 

According to the report, more than 580 million kilos of ag chemicals are imported into the United States every year. “This includes some of the key actives like glyphosate, glufosinate, 2,4-D, atrazine, clethodim, as well as others,” Appel said. “The impact from tariffs will be pretty broad unless something changes.”

The FBN survey notes that in 2024, 100% of atrazine, 99% of glyphosate, 85% of glufosinate, 75% of clethodim, and 49% of 2,4-D was sourced from China. 

Prices were down in 2024 due to factors such as lower commodity prices, Appel said. In addition, the market has been working on destocking excess inventory, which also helps create competitive pricing. “As that channel inventory has been worked down, now importers are going to be restocking and bringing more material in so that may compound the tariff issue,” he said.

Survey Findings

While prices were lower, variability still existed from region to region, depending on the product.

What Product Price Varied the Most?

“Variability is very different product to product and region to region,” Appel said. “We’ve seen variations up to three times the price on some products.”

The product with the widest price range for the 2025 survey was Liberty 280 SL Herbicide, with 211% price variation, followed by AMS (dry) with 200% price variation.

What Was the Average Product’s Price Variance?

FBN found that across 122 different agricultural chemical products analyzed, 12 products had over 100% difference in price, meaning some farmers paid more than double for the exact same product.

The report shows the average national list price for AMS dry was $0.37 per pound, but farmers paid between $0.28 – $0.60 per pound.

Similarly, the average national list price for atrazine 4L was $16.75 per gallon, but prices ranged from $12.25 – $23.60 per gallon.

How Does This Compare to 2024?

Compared to the 2024 report, national prices are trending down for almost every product analyzed. 

One of the most notable changes was the drop in overall price variability. For example, AMS (dry) variability dropped from a 468% gap in 2024 to just 73%. “This change indicates that a growing focus on price transparency, fueled by an increasingly competitive ag chem landscape, has created a fairer market opportunity for farmers,” said the report.  

Does a Farm’s Location Make a Difference?

Regional pricing differences often showed certain areas were prone to paying more for certain products. 

According to the report, there was a 108% difference between the highest and lowest price for Atrazine in Illinois last season, meaning farmers could pay almost double for the same product in the same state. Differences of up to 106% for clethodim and 39% for 2,4-D were found in Nebraska. 

Strategies for Fair Pricing

Dynamics that influence the price variation include cash versus finance pricing, transportation costs, and pricing some products lower to attract sales, Appel said. “Pricing conversations are often happening on a one-on-one basis between a farmer and retailer. That’s where we take back that curtain a bit and make the prices known in our store.”

Farmers have delayed chemical purchase decisions due to cash availability and commodity prices, Appel said. “The best strategy is to buy early and that will especially be true with some of the compounding issues around supply and tariffs that we’ve seen in the marketplace.”

The FBN store also offers data tools for farmer members that can help with their price transparency, Appel said. “When farmers upload an invoice, it’s turned into a shopping list and they can see the total savings versus what they actually paid for an equivalent product,” he explained.