US Gulf:
Aggressive summer fill offers in the Midwest during the week pushed NOLA ammonium sulfate barge pricing down sharply, to $255-$275/st FOB from the last confirmed spring business at $385-$390/st FOB.
US Imports:
Ammonium sulfate imports for July-May firmed 42.4% year-over-year, to 1.16 million st from 817,743 st. May imports were 107,348 st, however, down 29.1 % from 151,494 st in the year-ago period. Imports from Canada were noted at 480,599 st for July-May, ahead of 231,290 st from Belgium. The Netherlands shipped 140,971 st.
US Exports:
Ammonium sulfate exports softened 3.8% in May, to 41,317 st from the year-go 42,944 st. July-May exports were 588,527 st, down 16.6% from the prior 705,956 st. Exports to Peru totaled 184,683 st in July-May, followed by Canada with 78,089 st. Mexico took 65,261 st, ahead of 51,695 st to the Dominican Republic.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate summer fill offers were launched during the week at a reported $305-$310/st FOB Cincinnati and other river terminals and $315-$320/st FOB inland warehouses, with rail-DEL offers quoted at $320/st in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio and $325/st in Michigan.
AdvanSix moved its granular reference prices on July 12 to $320/st FOB Cincinnati and Owensboro, Ky.; $325/st FOB Delphi, Ind., Lordstown, Ohio, Maumee, Ohio, and Wayland, Mich.; and $330/st FOB Saginaw, Mich., and Webberville, Mich. Mid-grade reference prices from the company included $295/st FOB Byron, Ill., and Tolono, Ill.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate fill program offers were reported at $305/st FOB St. Louis early in the week for orders placed by July 11. Granular postings from AdvanSix moved on July 12 to $325/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa, and Upper Mississippi River warehouses, with inland warehouses maintaining a traditional premium over river locations.
Northern Plains:
Summer fill offers for granular ammonium sulfate dipped to $310-$330/st DEL in North Dakota during the week. Granular postings from AdvanSix on July 12 included $325/st FOB St. Paul, Winona, Minn., and Prairie du Chien, Wisc., and $330/st FOB Brooten, Minn., and Amherst Junction, Wisc. Mid-grade ammonium sulfate was referenced at $295/st FOB Winona.
Northeast:
The prompt granular ammonium sulfate market remained at $415-$430/st FOB and $415-$425/st DEL in the Northeast. While summer fill programs were circulating in the Midwest, sources reported no offers on the table in the Northeast during the week.
Eastern Canada:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing in Eastern Canada was reported at C$510-$555/mt FOB for fill program offers during the week, down from the last prompt business at C$570-$675/mt FOB.
Northwest Europe:
The standard ammonium sulfate market in Northwest Europe was range-bound this week, with several small sales reported at the prior $160-$170/mt FOB level. Granular prices were down $5/mt on the high end based on updated bid-offer spreads.
China:
Growing demand for ammonium sulfate from domestic NPK producers is creating upward price pressure. Nevertheless, the price in China remained at $135-$145/mt FOB for caprolactam grade amsul during the week.
Additional pressure is being felt in the capro grade market due to reports of reduced production of other grades of amsul, forcing buyers to bid on capro grade material instead. That pressure, said one trader, is coming not only from domestic and regional buyers, but also from major overseas buyers such as Brazil.
Brazil:
Brazil granular ammonium sulfate fell $10/mt, to $175-$185/mt CFR. Trading rumored at $170/mt CFR went unconfirmed, prompting most business to rebound toward the range’s upper end during the week.
Players noted rising amsul demand in Rondonópolis as growers attempt to improve barter ratios for second corn crop purchasing. Discussions were quoted in the $300-$325/mt FOB range, off from $305-$330/mt FOB in the previous week.
First-half amsul imports stood at 1.4 million mt, according to Trade Data Monitor,a 7.5% decline from the 1.5 million mt received through January-June 2023. China remained Brazil’s primary supplier with 1.4 million mt, accounting for 95% of the import market.
Second-quarter imports were reported at 608,000 mt, off 20% from the 757,000 mt received through the same period of 2023. June 2024 imports were also down, to 143,000 from 326,000 mt in June 2023.