AdvanSix, Parsippany, N.J., told analysts on July 30 that it converted a record 66 percent of its ammonium sulfate into higher value granular grades to meet the growing demands of its domestic customers this year. Per normal, due to typical North American seasonality, it expects a higher mix of standard grade product into export markets in the third quarter.
President and CEO Erin Kane said ammonium sulfate on a net price over natural gas and sulfur basis was modestly down year-over-year in the second quarter. She noted that the year-ago period benefited from historically low natural gas and sulfur prices for most of 2020.
“In the second quarter of 2021, the price of these inputs continued to spike higher year-over-year, due to supply considerations and a strong agricultural market overall. Sequentially, moving into the second half of 2021, we expect these input costs to stabilize and anticipate benefiting from recent ammonium sulfate price increases,” Kane added.