U.S. Gulf:
Ammonium sulfate barges continued to be called $255-$265/st FOB, with domestic producers seeking $275/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market remained at a firm $280-$315/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, depending on location, with most domestic producer postings falling in the $305-$315/st FOB range in late April.
AdvanSix on April 29 reported that it was increasing the price of all ammonium sulfate products by $15/st in the Northeast, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions, effective immediately, with the Hopewell, Va., granular pricing firming to $300/st FOB. The company said granular prices in the Great Lakes region were increasing by $10/st at all warehouses.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate was pegged at $280-$310/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low confirmed at St. Louis and Caruthersville, Mo. In the Northern Plains, sources continued to quote the granular ammonium sulfate market at $300-$310/st FOB St. Paul, Minn., and $330-$335/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa.
California:
Ammonium sulfate pricing was steady at $298-$315/st FOB in California, with the upper end reported at Helm. The low was for standard grade FOB Chico and Woodland, with premium grade offers quoted at the $305/st level FOB Stockton, Woodland, and Lathrop.
Pacific Northwest:
The ammonium sulfate market was pegged at $330-$338/st FOB or DEL for granular and $290-$300/st FOB or DEL for standard grade in the Pacific Northwest.
Western Canada:
Ammonium sulfate remained in extremely tight supply in Western Canada, with inventories stretched by a heavy spring application season that is running 7-10 days ahead of schedule in many areas. Provided any tons could be sourced in late April, sources were quoting firm pricing levels at C$510-$515/mt DEL, up C$5-$10/mt from last report.
China:
No major shift in ammonium sulfate pricing was reported in China, although the range did tighten on steady business in Asia. Sources now put the caprolactam market price at $156-$158/mt FOB.
Indonesia:
Gresik called a tender to arrange for its annual supply of ammonium sulfate. Sources said it looks as if the company will be buying about 400,000 mt this year. No price has been confirmed from the tender, but traders speculated that the price is in the $180s/mt CFR.
The apparent tonnage booked for this year repeats levels from 2020 but is significantly lower than the 900,000 mt bought in previous years.
Brazil:
Paranagua remained steady at $200-$210/mt CFR for granular ammonium sulfate in a quiet market. The Rondonopolis market tightened and dropped to $340-$345/mt FOB ex-warehouse. The barter rate at Rondonopolis was pegged at 39 bags of corn for 1 mt of ammonium sulfate.
Thailand:
Imports for the first quarter and the month of March were dramatically up this year compared to the same periods last year, according to Trade Data Monitor. First-quarter imports for 2021 were reported at 58,000 mt against 34,000 mt for the same time in 2020. March imports of 27,000 mt were up significantly from March 2020 imports of 3,000 mt.