Minsk-JSC Belarusian Potash Co. (JSC) reported a 47 percent increase in shipments to overseas markets for the first half ending June 30, 2007. Major buyers were delaying purchases during the year-ago period. Of the 5 million mt supplied, 3.6 million mt originated in RUE PA Belaruskali (a 53 percent increase), and 1.4 million mt (2.2 million mt inclusive of the volumes supplied to China by railway under BPC supervision) came from JSC Uralkal ?Çô a 41 percent increase. JSC said the export sales returns amounted to US$.9 billion, a 61 percent gain to those of the previous year. BPC noted recent improvements in prices, including a June $50/mt increase accepted by IPL, India’s major importer. Since February 2007, after the relevant contracts had been signed with Sinochem and CNAMPGC, the price went up $5/mt to customers in China, making it the second price increase for this most significant market within less than 7 months; back in July 2006, the price was increased by $25/mt. JSC said for Brazil, the price generally went up $100/mt in January-August 2007, and starting from Oct. 1, the price for potash fertilizers will be increased by another $25/mt to $305-$315/mt for major and minor importers, respectively. JSC also noted that during the first half it broke a psychological price barrier of $300/mt into Southeast Asia. JSC BPC is the sole supplier of potash fertilizers manufactured by RUE PA Belaruskali (Soligorsk, Belarus) and JSC Uralkali (Berezniki, Russia) to overseas markets.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain