U.S. Gulf:
Ammonium sulfate was reported to be moving at inland points and from NOLA. Sources said wheat topdress has started. As a result, sources reported a significant uptick at NOLA, where prices had drifted downward during the prior week. The market was put at $225-$240/st FOB, up from the week-ago $200-$215/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Sources quoted the granular ammonium sulfate market at $260-$280/st FOB in early March on the back of recent producer pricing hikes, up another $10-$15/st from last report, with the low reported at river locations and the high inland. IOC’s Feb. 25 postings included $260/st FOB Delta terminals and $265/st FOB Upper Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio River terminals.
AdvanSix raised its ammonium sulfate prices by $30/st on March 1. New granular postings include $270/st FOB Granite City, Ill., and $285/st rail-DEL in Illinois, with mid-grade moving to $235/st FOB Byron, Ill., and $245/st rail-DEL in Illinois. The company said its granular ammonium sulfate price FOB Hopewell, Va., will remain at the last posted level of $265/st FOB, however, and is not included in this latest price increase.
Western Cornbelt:
Ammonium sulfate prices from AdvanSix moved up another $30/st on March 1. New granular postings include $280/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa, with rail-DEL postings in Iowa firming to $285/st for granular and $245/st for mid-grade. IOC’s Feb. 25 list prices included $260/st FOB St. Louis, $270/st FOB Houston, Texas, $275/st FOB Sioux City, and $280/st rail-DEL in the Southern Plains.
Northern Plains:
Sources pegged the ammonium sulfate market at a firm $250-$260/st FOB St. Paul, with delivered tons ranging from $275-$290/st in North Dakota, depending on time of shipment.
AdvanSix on March 1 reposted granular ammonium sulfate at $275/st FOB Brooten, Minn., and $285/st rail-DEL in Minnesota. Those new prices followed a round of higher postings from IOC on Feb. 25, which included $265/st FOB Upper Mississippi River terminals, $275/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa, and $290/st rail-DEL in the Northern Plains, up $15-$30/st from the company’s Feb. 3 postings.
Great Lakes:
Granular ammonium sulfate prices in the Great Lakes region were up significantly to $275-$310/st FOB, with the upper end reported out of Michigan warehouses. Granular postings from AdvanSix firmed $30/st on March 1, to $275/st FOB Prairie du Chien, Wisc., and $280/st FOB Amherst Junction, Wisc. The company’s rail-DEL postings in Wisconsin moved up to $285/st for granular and $245/st for mid-grade.
Northeast:
Granular ammonium sulfate was pegged at $265/st FOB Hopewell, Va., and $275/st FOB East Liverpool, Ohio, with delivered tons reported at $275-$285/st in the Northeast.
Pacific Northwest:
IRM on March 2 raised its ammonium sulfate prices to $298/st FOB or DEL for Tranzform and WesternPremium grades in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, with WesternStandard firming to $260/st FOB or DEL in those four states. Those prices reflect a $20/st increase from IRM’s Jan. 8 postings and a $35/st increase from Dec. 14 list prices.
China:
Limited supply and steady demand are pushing up the price of caprolactam-grade ammonium sulfate in China. Sources now put the price at $145-$155mt FOB, with more upward pressure coming.
Demand in China picked up as NPK producers look more and more to ammonium sulfate as a substitute for the higher-priced urea. Likewise, Asian blenders have the same idea and are stepping up their demand for product.
Production is slowly stepping up as factories are gradually being allocated more natural gas as demand for home-heating wanes.
Exporters of ammonium sulfate are facing higher rates because of limited quantities for export. With fewer tons available, shippers are forced to look to using containers to ship their product instead of bulk cargoes. Traders said those without containers already under contract are facing charges of as much as $120/mt just to ship the product.