US Gulf:
The last confirmed ammonium sulfate barge business remained at the $220/st FOB NOLA level, with offers reportedly continuing at $230-$240/st FOB for new business.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate prices slipped to $270-$290/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt on reports of limited demand, despite higher postings from producers.
AdvanSix raised its granular ammonium sulfate price in the Midwest to $300/st FOB river warehouses on Aug. 2, up from the July 24 posting of $290/st FOB and earlier summer fill offers at $270-$285/st FOB.
Western Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market remained at $285-$300/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low reflecting IOC’s latest posting at Louis. AdvanSix raised its granular ammonium sulfate price on Aug. 2 to $300/st FOB Midwest river warehouses, up $10/st from the company’s July 24 posting.
Northern Plains:
The granular ammonium sulfate market was pegged at $280-$300/st FOB in the Northern Plains, with the low at St. Paul and the high at Casselton, N.D., and Sioux City, Iowa. Delivered pricing in the region was reported in the $280-$305/st range in early August.
Northeast:
The granular ammonium sulfate fill market in the Northeast firmed to $300-$305/st FOB, with the high confirmed at East Liverpool, Ohio. AdvanSix reported that its ammonium sulfate prices FOB Hopewell, Va., will move on Aug. 14 to $295/st for granular, $265/st for mid-grade, and $245/st for standard.
Eastern Canada:
Ammonium sulfate tightened to C$500-$518/mt FOB in Eastern Canada, down from last month’s C$500-$660/mt FOB range.
China:
The asking price has jumped to $180/mt FOB for caprolactam grade ammonium sulfate, sources said, although no one has yet paid that price. Deals were reported in the low-$170s/mt FOB, however.
Sources said the dual pressures of stronger demand and reduced output is pushing up the price. The slowdown in Chinese industrial output has meant reduced production of the amsul byproduct, sources said. At the same time, NPK manufacturers in China and around the world are asking for more ammonium sulfate to serve as their nitrogen component.
Turkey:
January-June ammonium sulfate imports softened 16%, Trade Data Monitor reported, to 582,000 mt from the year-ago 693,000 mt. Chinese amsul totaled 423,000 mt, for 73% of the market. Belgium followed with 102,000 mt.
June imports were mostly flat year-over-year at 41,000 mt. Turkey received 278,000 mt in the second quarter, up 51% from 184,000 imported in April-June 2022.
Brazil:
Ammonium sulfate prices in Brazil climbed to $230-$235/mt CFR from the week-ago $200-$220/mt CFR, a roughly 11% increase.
Despite both limited offers and muted demand reported at Rondonopolis, ammonium sulfate prices followed urea higher, to $340-$360/mt FOB ex-warehouse.