US Gulf:
NOLA barge prices remained under pressure, with the last-done business reported at $310/st FOB versus the week-ago $310-$320/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Ammonium sulfate remained at $370-$400/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, depending on location, with the low at Cincinnati and the upper end reported out of spot Illinois River terminals.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing fell to $360-$390/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, down from $385-$405/st FOB, with the low confirmed at St. Louis at midweek.
Southern Plains:
Granular ammonium sulfate dropped to $350-$400/st FOB in the Southern Plains, down from $390-$420/st FOB, with the low reported at Houston and the high at Catoosa/Inola.
South Central:
Ammonium sulfate prices were under pressure in the South Central region. New offers were quoted in the $370-$390/st range, down from the low-$400s/st reported previously. Spot offers FOB Little Rock were pegged at the $385/st FOB level at midweek.
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:
Prices have edged up to the low-$170s/mt FOB for caprolactam-grade amsul. Sellers keep looking for buyers other than Brazil in an effort to achieve a better netback on their product.
Even as some major producers keep churning out ammonium sulfate, the domestic demand – especially from NPK producers – is also stepping up. Many of the suppliers of exported amsul are trying to move their product to regional buyers, who are willing to pay more than the Brazilians. At the same time, the shipping costs are lower for the regional sales, again giving buyers and sellers better prices.
Brazil:
The Carnival season shut down most trading operations in the country. As a result, prices at the ports and at Rondonopolis remained steady.
South Korea:
Trade Data Monitor reported January ammonium sulfate exports at 18,000 mt, up from 6,000 mt reported for January 2022. The largest buyer was New Zealand, taking 12,000 mt of the exports.