Yara closes Trinidad ammonia plants

Point Lisas, Trinidad-Yara International ASA closed its Trinidad ammonia plants at midnight Jan. 17 due to a pending strike by workers. The plants produce approximately 1.3 million mt/y of ammonia. CF Industries Inc., a Florida DAP producer and user of Yara ammonia, told Green Markets that it should have enough ammonia on hand to continue production well into February. The Mosaic Co., another Florida DAP producer, told Green Markets that it is still assessing the situation and is in talks with Yara. Mosaic may be okay for the near term, as it has recently acquired new ammonia cargoes from Nitrochem. The news is expected to immediately add a bump to the U.S. ammonia import market. Tampa prices had just moved up to $505/mt DEL from $460/mt DEL prior to the news (see Market Report).