US Gulf:
Sources put barge price ideas a bit tighter at $349-$365/st FOB, compared to the week-ago $345-$365/st FOB.
US Imports:
September ammonium sulfate imports were noted at 67,500 st, 26.0% down from the year-ago 91,206 st. July-September totals rang in at 146,958 st, off 35.9 % from the year-ago 229,154 st.
Tonnage loading from Canada totaled 84,048 st for the July-September fertilizer year to-date, while Belgium added 44,129 st. South Korea was reported sending 17,141 st during the period.
US Exports:
Ammonium sulfate exports moved 34.8% higher in July-September, to 236,055 st from the year-ago 175,139 st. Cargoes shipped in September totaled 121,478 st, up 106.6% from the prior-year 58,794 st.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing was quoted at $400-$450/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the Cincinnati market pegged at $400-$420/st FOB. Ottawa pricing was confirmed at the $425/st FOB level at midweek.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing was pegged in a broad range at $420-$480/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low confirmed at St. Louis and the high in Iowa.
Southern Plains:
Granular ammonium sulfate was pegged at $415-$440/st FOB Catoosa/Inola and Houston, depending on supplier, down from $440-$450/st FOB at last report.
South Central:
Ammonium sulfate pricing was pegged at $440-$450/st FOB in the South Central region, with the low at Memphis and the high in Arkansas.
Southeast:
Ammonium sulfate pricing FOB Hopewell, Va., was steady at $490/st FOB for granular, $450/st FOB for mid-grade, and $430/st FOB for standard. Pricing in the Florida market remained at $395/st FOB/DEL for standard and $505/st FOB/DEL for granular.
China:
Sources said the China market is depressed because of limited demand, not only in the domestic market, but also in the Southeast Asian market. Limited deals were reported, all in the low-$170s/mt FOB.
International buyers are reportedly hearing of building stockpiles of amsul in China. These reports are giving strength to buyers from Southeast Asia to Brazil to push for ever-lower prices. Sources attributed the limited demand for product in Southeast Asia to the general global slowdown, while the push from Brazil comes from lower urea prices, leaving only the benefit of added sulfur to the application as the main benefit of buying amsul.
Brazil:
Prices dropped marginally to $265/mt CFR. Sources said the decline came as demand for amsul in blending dropped in line with the softening urea price.
The Rondonopolis price tightened to a single point on weak demand, to $410/mt FOB ex-warehouse. Now that urea prices are softening, sources said that only a few blenders are interested in amsul over urea, due to its sulfur content.