U.S. Gulf:
The ammonium sulfate barge market remained at $225-$240/st FOB. Players said the market is poised for another increase, citing higher urea and sulfur pricing.
U.S. Imports:
Imports of ammonium sulfate were up 57.9 percent for January, to 72,362 st from 45,819 st last year. July-January totals were up 94.5 percent, to 511,230 st from last year’s 262,785 st.
Canada dominated the July-January fertilizer year-to-date import list at 296,150 st, up 86.2 percent from 159,030 st the year before, while tons loading from Belgium totaled 85,761, a 51.1 percent increase from 56,751 st recorded one year earlier. Russian material totaled 61,788 st for the period, up 62.4 percent from 38,047 st the year before.
Tons originating from the Netherlands totaled 31,248 for the period, rising 47,947.5 percent from the previous year’s 65 st total. South Korean tons totaled 30,314 st, compared with just 44 st during the same period last year.
U.S. Exports:
January ammonium sulfate exports were up 167.7 percent from last year, to 61,022 st from 22,795 st. July-January exports fell 0.4 percent, however, to 385,500 st from 387,109 st.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Sources quoted the granular ammonium sulfate market at $255-$275/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the low reported at East Dubuque. IOC’s reference remained at $265/st FOB Illinois and Ohio River terminals, while March 1 postings from AdvanSix included granular tons at $270/st FOB Granite City, Ill., and $285/st rail-DEL in Illinois.
Western Cornbelt:
Sources reported ammonia sulfate offers ranging from $245-$260/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low at Caruthersville and the higher end out of spot Iowa locations for March-June tons. Reference prices from producers continued to include granular product at $260/st FOB St. Louis and $275-$280/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa.
Southern Plains:
The low end of the granular ammonium sulfate market was quoted firmly at $250-$255/st FOB Catoosa/Inola and Houston, up $5/st from last report. IOC on Feb. 25 raised its ammonium sulfate postings to $270/st FOB Houston and $280/st rail-DEL in the Southern Plains, up $25-$30/st from its previous list prices.
South Central:
Ammonium sulfate pricing had reportedly firmed to $245-$250/st FOB in the South Central region, up another $5-$10/st from last report.
Southeast:
Ammonium sulfate prices FOB Hopewell, Va., remained at $265/st for granular, $245/st for mid-grade, and $225/st for standard. Sources in Florida reported delivered tons at $230/st for standard and $280/st for granular.
China:
Product availability remains low, even as regional and global demand picks up. The resulting situation has caprolactam-grade ammonium sulfate firmly in the low-$150s/mt FOB. Some producers are claiming they have been able to sell at $160/mt FOB, but have not backed up those claims to industry watchers.
Traders said higher prices are likely as available product from China remains limited. Suppliers said they have nothing available for spot sales for the rest of March and most of April.
Brazil:
Granular ammonium sulfate prices moved up steadily during the week. The opening price was pegged at $190/mt CFR in Paranagua. By week’s end, however, sources said deals were done at $210-$215/mt CFR.
Some of the demand is coming from inland NPK producers looking for cheaper nitrogen supplements to their blending process. The rising price of ammonium sulfate, and the stabilizing price of urea, however, is beginning to chip away at the benefits of buying amsul instead of urea.
Imports of ammonium sulfate during February were reported at 379,000 mt, with most of it coming from China, according to Trade Data Monitor. The imports showed a marked increase from February 2020 imports of 218,000 mt.
The first two months of the year showed imports at 742,000 mt against 502,000 mt during the same period in 2020.