U.S. Gulf:
New ammonium sulfate barge trades for March were reported at $620/st FOB NOLA, up from the week-ago $585/st FOB. A full-April trade was reported at $655/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Ammonium sulfate prices were firming in the Eastern Cornbelt. Sources reported Cincinnati pricing early in the week at $630-$645/st FOB, but some suggested levels were closer to the $700/st FOB level by the end of the week, with $700/st FOB pricing also reported at Ottawa, Ill.
In the Great Lakes region, new offers were reported as high as $725-$735/st FOB.
Western Cornbelt:
The ammonium sulfate market ranged broadly at $630-$700/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, depending on location and time of the week, with reports of St. Louis pricing hovering in the $660-$700/st FOB range by the end of the week. Sources reported the Catoosa/Inola market at the $665-$670/st FOB level on March 9-10.
Northern Plains:
Granular ammonium sulfate prices were reported at $650-$660/st FOB St. Paul for the last offers, with reports of new reference pricing FOB Sioux City, Iowa, as high as $715/st FOB. Delivered tons in North Dakota were confirmed at $670-$695/st for new spring sales, up from $650-$660/st DEL last week.
Northeast:
The granular ammonium sulfate market firmed to $655/st FOB or higher in the Northeast, with the low confirmed at East Liverpool at midweek.
Eastern Canada:
The ammonium sulfate market firmed to C$909-$920/mt FOB in Eastern Canada, up nearly C$30/mt at the low end of the range. Supply was described as limited, however, with some suppliers currently sold out in mid-March.
China:
Prices for caprolactam-grad amsul got hot this week. Sources reported a movement from near $230/mt FOB to closer to $300/mt FOB. Demand for product in Brazil and Southeast Asia helped push up the price.
With urea prices rising, sources expect to see stronger demand for amsul as a nitrogen substitute in NPK production.
Thailand:
Ammonium sulfate imports in January 2022 were reported at 1,500 mt by Trade Data Monitor. This is a 95 percent drop from January 2021 imports of 29,000 mt.
Turkey:
January ammonium sulfate imports were reported at 149,000 mt by Trade Data Monitor. This is a large increase over the January 2021 imports of 61,000 mt. The main supplier this year was China with 125,000 mt, representing 84 percent of Turkey’s amsul imports.
Brazil:
Ammonium sulfate prices moved to $350-$450/mt CFR, depending on the unloading port. The increase in pricing is accompanied by a growing uncertainty in the market because of limitations of other fertilizers in the global market.The inland price dipped slightly to $525/mt FOB ex-warehouse, a shift that few considered significant.
Demand for amsul in Brazil is expected to step up because of the rising global urea prices. NPK blenders will be looking for a cheaper nitrogen alternative.
Ammonium sulfate imports for the first two months of the year were reported at 869,000 mt by Trade Data Monitor. This is up 14.5 percent from the same period of 2021, when imports were reported at 732,000 mt. China was the main supplier with 61,000 mt. South Korea re-entered the Brazil market after five years of absence.
February imports were pegged at 479,000 mt, up 27 percent from February 2021 imports of 379,000 mt. China accounted for 79 percent of February imports at 378,000 mt. The U.S. was second with 44,000 mt, for 9 percent of the import market.