China has halted exports of urea, a key fertilizer, due to a surge in prices, resulting in around 500,000 metric tons being held up at Chinese ports. This is causing delays and potential shortages for buyers such as India. China is the world's largest producer of urea and accounts for a third of global supplies. Chinese state-owned producers are prioritizing domestic supply, and port inspections for urea cargoes have been suspended. The curbs are expected to raise global prices and increase spending by countries reliant on imported urea.