U.S. Gulf/Tampa: No new activity was reported on the NOLA barge market. Last-done was quoted in the $285-$292/st FOB range.
January anhydrous ammonia imports were down 11 percent, to 443,849 st from the year-ago 500,429 st, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. July-January imports were off 6 percent, to 3.1 million from 3.32 million st.
April NYMEX natural gas closed March 10 at $1.788/mmBtu, up from March 3’s $1.639/mmBtu.
Eastern Cornbelt: Sources continued to report firming markets for ammonia, with preplant demand described as steady. The low end of the regional range was quoted at $480/st FOB Illinois terminals on a spot basis, while pricing out of Indiana locations had reportedly firmed to $490/st FOB for new business.
The market FOB Courtright, Ont., was also pegged solidly at the $490/st FOB level to U.S. customers during the week.
Western Cornbelt: Sources reported firming markets for ammonia, with one source reporting that “suppliers have jacked the price almost daily because of strong demand in the South and a run on supplies. We suspect a similar run could occur here as demand escalates.”
Sources said anhydrous ammonia pricing had surged to $460-$485/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, up $40-$45/st, with the low reported for very limited tons out of Nebraska terminals and the upper end out of terminal locations in central and eastern Iowa. Other spot terminal pricing levels included $465/st FOB Fort Dodge, Iowa, and $475/st FOB Palmyra, Mo.
No current delivered ammonia prices were available from southern production points in the region due to tapped-out inventories and suppliers “not taking orders,” sources said. One contact said the last spot business he’d heard out of Oklahoma and Kansas was in the $425-$430/st FOB range for very limited tons, but that was reportedly offered earlier in the month.
Northern Plains: Although postings had reportedly moved to as high as $470/st FOB in North Dakota, the regional ammonia market was quoted at $435-$450/st FOB for actual sales, up $20/st from last report, with delivered ammonia pegged at $455-$465/st in the Northern Plains.
Eastern Canada: The anhydrous ammonia market for Canadian buyers had reportedly firmed to $710-$730/mt FOB Courtright, Ontario, for March-June shipments, up a full $25-$35/mt from last report. Sources reported little new business to test the market, however, with one contact noting that ammonia is “not very much used now in Ontario.”