An executive order recently signed by former President Donald Trump, ostensibly aimed at protecting domestic production of the herbicide Roundup, reveals a deeper strategic objective: securing the U.S. military’s supply of white phosphorus, a chemical used in certain munitions.
The Dual-Use Industrial Link
The decree explicitly cites the production of elemental phosphorus as vital to U.S. “military preparedness and national defense.” This chemical is used to manufacture munitions for smoke screens, target marking, and incendiary effects. Crucially, white phosphorus is also a key component in producing glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.
In the United States, only one company produces it: the German conglomerate Bayer. Since acquiring Monsanto in 2018, Bayer operates the sole U.S. facility capable of producing white phosphorus in Idaho. This creates a single industrial chain supplying both American agriculture and specific military capabilities.
A Vulnerable Supply Line
According to analyses, this link explains the Trump administration’s intervention. If glyphosate production were halted in the U.S. due to mounting legal and public pressure, the country could lose its primary domestic source of white phosphorus for the military.
Bayer faces thousands of lawsuits alleging glyphosate causes cancer, a classification supported by a World Health Organization agency. The company has paid billions in settlements. Continued pressure risks Bayer reducing or abandoning Roundup production domestically—a scenario that alarms defense planners reliant on the co-located phosphorus supply.
The Controversial Nature of White Phosphorus
White phosphorus is highly controversial. It ignites spontaneously in air, causing severe burns that continue as long as the particles are exposed to oxygen. While not banned internationally, its use is illegal if directed at civilians or in populated areas, raising significant ethical concerns regarding its military application.
This executive order underscores how national security policy can be intertwined with commercial chemical production, prioritizing the maintenance of a critical, if contentious, defense supply chain.
