Pupuk Indonesia has signed an initial memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Algerian phosphate mining company Somiphos for up to 1 million tpy of phosphate rock.
As of the end of January the agreement remained in its early stages. Somiphos currently has 2 million tpy phosphate rock production capacity, and plans to expand by 500 000 tpy over two years to reach 3 million tpy in 2027.
At present, Indonesia relies entirely on imports for its phosphates needs. Indonesia imported 1.4 million t of phosphate rock in January-November 2025, with more than 60% of those imparts coming from Jordan, according to Global Trade Tracker (GTT) data. The country previously imported 169 000 t of phosphate rock from Algeria in 2024 via traders, but did not import any volumes in 2025.
Phosphate rock is an important raw material for fertilizers in Indonesia, both as a direct application fertilizer and for NPK production. Indonesia, like the rest of Southeast Asia has been predicted to see increase import activity in raw materials for fertilizer production due to an growing population leading to rising demand for more efficient fertilizers. Increased phosphate rock imports from Algeria will strengthen Indonesia's raw material supply for fertilizer production and supports the country's goal of sustainable food self-sufficiency, according to Pupuk.
Read the original news story by Hui Xuan Lek on Argus Media.