U.S. Gulf:
NOLA ammonium sulfate barges continued to be called $385-$400/st FOB.
U.S. Imports:
July-June ammonium sulfate imports were reported at 898,829 st, down 7.6% from the year-ago 972,350 st. June imports were off 12.9%, falling to 23,647 st from 27,147 st in June 2021.
Imports from Canada stood at 458,948 st for July-June, ahead of both Belgium’s 251,890 st and South Korea’s 80,579 st.
U.S. Exports:
Ammonium sulfate exports were up 50.8% in June, to 68,559 st from the June 2021 total of 45,478 st. July-June exports firmed 2.2%, to 630,859 st from last year’s 617,499 st.
Eastern Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market was pegged at $450-$480/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the low confirmed at Ottawa and the high at Cincinnati.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing remained at $450-$480/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the lower end of the range confirmed at St. Louis.
Southern Plains:
Ammonium sulfate pricing slipped to $450-$460/st FOB in the Southern Plains, depending on supplier, with the low confirmed at both Catoosa/Inola and Houston for new offers.
South Central:
Ammonium sulfate pricing was quoted in a tight range at $455-$460/st FOB in the South Central region.
Southeast:
Following last week’s announcement from AdvanSix that its Hopewell, Va., postings for ammonium sulfate will drop in mid-August to $450/st FOB for granular, $410/st FOB for mid-grade, and $390/st FOB for standard, new pricing in the Florida market was confirmed at $395/st FOB/DEL for standard and $490/st FOB/DEL for granular, down significantly from spring pricing that reached $635/st for standard and $735/st for granular.
China:
Sources said the ammonium sulfate market remains soft, with most deals settling in at the lower end of the $190-$200/mt FOB range. Reportedly, demand in Southeast Asia is softening as buyers feel the pinch from inflation and higher interest rates.
Brazil:
Limited demand and a steady flow of product has softened the ammonium sulfate price in Brazil to $280-$300/mt CFR. Sources said they expect to see a continued decline in the landed price.Rondonopolis also showed a drop to $405-$415/mt FOB ex-warehouse.
Imports of ammonium sulfate for January-July 2022 were reported at 2.4 million mt by Trade Data Monitor. This is up about 25% from the 1.9 million mt imported during the same period in 2021. China was the main supplier, sending 2.1 million mt. In a distant second place was Belgium with 105,000 mt.
July 2022 imports were reported at 355,000 mt, up 75% from the 203,000 mt imported during July 2021. Chinese suppliers accounted for 309,000 mt or 87% of the import market.