U.S. Gulf/Tampa: Nothing new was reported in these markets, as Tampa still awaits May pricing, leaving all the attention on the domestic inland markets.
U.S. anhydrous ammonia imports in February were up 18 percent, to 643,232 st from the year-ago 543,533 st. However, July-February imports were off 4 percent, to 4.85 million st from 5.06 million st.
Eastern Cornbelt: Heavy preplant demand for anhydrous ammonia continued to drain inventories at regional terminals, and numerous locations in the Eastern Cornbelt were out of product last week. Where spot tons were available, sources pegged the dealer market in the $710-$730/st FOB range out of Illinois locations, and as high as $750/st FOB Indiana terminals.
One source noted that the heavy preplant demand will likely segue quickly to brisk sidedress demand.
CF’s ammonia postings for the April 12-13 shipping period included $720/st FOB Albany, Ill.; $730/st FOB Kingston Mines, Peru, and Seneca, Ill., and Courtright, Ontario; $740/st FOB Cowden, Ill.; and $750/st FOB Huntington and Terra Haute, Ind.
Western Cornbelt: Sources continued to report difficulty sourcing ammonia tons out of some regional terminals due to supply outages and heavy preplant demand. Iowa contacts tagged the upper end of the market at $690/st FOB out of locations that were still selling spot tons last week, with the low end of the regional range reported at $660/st FOB in Nebraska on a spot basis. One source reported that he was able to find limited tons at only one Nebraska terminal at midweek.
CF’s ammonia postings for the April 12-13 shipping period included $630/st FOB Nebraska terminals at Aurora, Blair, Fremont, Greenwood, and Hastings; $640/st FOB Whiting and Port Neal, Iowa; $670/st FOB Garner, Iowa; $720/st FOB Palmyra, Mo.; $730/st FOB Glenwood, Minn.; $740/st FOB Pine Bend, Minn., and Grand Forks, N.D.; and $760/st FOB Velva, N.D.
In the Southern Plains market, CF’s April 12-13 ammonia postings included $570/st FOB Verdigris and Woodward, Okla.; $610/st FOB Conway, Kan.; and $620/st FOB Clay Center, Kan. One Midwest source who said he was pulling tons from Oklahoma production points quoted a $570-$580/st FOB market for any available material at midweek, with delivery pegged at the $670/st level to central Missouri.
California: Effective April 6, Calamco’s ammonia postings in the California market firmed to $655/st truck-DEL for anhydrous, $178/st FOB for aqua, and $285/st truck-DEL for AN-20. Those levels reflect a $70/st increase from the company’s Feb. 27 list price for anhydrous, an $18/st increase for aqua, and a $20/st increase for AN-20.
Pacific Northwest: Washington sources pegged the anhydrous ammonia market at $660-$675/st DEL last week, with the upper end for truck-delivered tons and the low for railed product on a spot basis.
Western Canada: The anhydrous ammonia market remained at $996-$1,010/mt DEL in Manitoba, $1,010-$1,019/mt DEL in Saskatchewan, and $1,019-$1,040/mt DEL in Alberta.
Fieldwork was underway in much of Western Canada, although cool temperatures delayed planting in southern Manitoba last week. Some cereal grains were reportedly planted as early as late March in parts of the region, thanks to unseasonably mild weather conditions.
Middle East: The failure of Qafco 5 to come fully online continues to play havoc with the regional ammonia market. Sources say buyers who were expecting to take tons from the new facility remain disappointed as they scramble to find spot tons elsewhere.
Increased demand in Asia is helping push the pricing expectations higher out of the region. Unfortunately for those who would like to see higher prices posted, the