U.S. Gulf:
Recent ammonium sulfate barge business was quoted in the $620-$655/st FOB range, up from $620/st FOB.
U.S. Imports:
July-January ammonium sulfate imports softened 11.6 percent year-over-year, to 451,957 st from 511,230 st. January imports were down 13.3 percent, to 62,746 st from the year-ago 72,362 st.
Imports from Canada for July-January were reported at 264,650 st, off 10.6 percent from the year-ago 296,150 st. Material loading from Belgium was noted at 122,633 st, a 43.0 percent increase from 85,761 st in the prior-year period. Russia sent 24,036 st through the period, down 61.6 percent from 61,788 st one year earlier.
A substantial reduction in ammonium sulfate imports from Russia, the Netherlands, and South Korea were to blame for the reduced import totals for the July-January period.
U.S. Exports:
Ammonium sulfate exports were off 32.7 percent in January, to 41,116 st from the year-ago 61,066 st. July-January exports firmed 4.3 percent, however, to 403,000 st from the year-ago 386,236 st.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Ammonium sulfate continued to firm in the Eastern Cornbelt. Sources reported Cincinnati pricing early in the week at $670-$680/st FOB, but some suggested levels were closer to the $680-$700/st FOB level by the end of the week. Indiana sources quoted the upper end of the regional market at $690-$720/st FOB at midweek.
In the Great Lakes region, new granular ammonium sulfate offers were reported as high as $755-$805/st FOB Toledo, depending on time of shipment.
AdvanSix’s granular ammonium sulfate postings in the Midwest firmed $60/st on March 14, to $690/st FOB Granite City, Ill., and Prairie du Chien, Wisc., $695/st FOB Amherst Junction, Wisc., and $700/st rail-DEL in Illinois and Wisconsin. The company’s mid-grade postings moved up to $630/st FOB Byron and Tolono, Ill., and $640/st rail-DEL in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Western Cornbelt:
The ammonium sulfate market was quoted at $670-$700/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt at mid-month, with the lower end of the range reported at St. Louis.
New ammonium sulfate postings from AdvanSix on March 14 included $690/st FOB Winona, Minn., $700/st FOB Brooten, Minn., and $715/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa, with mid-grade referenced at $630/st FOB Winona. The company’s rail-DEL postings in Iowa and Minnesota firmed on that date to $700/st for granular and $640/st for mid-grade.
Southern Plains:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing jumped to $665/st FOB Catoosa, with the Houston market pegged in a broad range at $580-$635/st FOB, depending on supplier.
South Central:
Ammonium sulfate prices in the South Central region moved higher at mid-month, stretching from a low of $630-$635/st FOB Memphis to a high of $685/st FOB river terminals in Arkansas, up from the last reported range of $610-$640/st FOB.
Southeast:
AdvanSix on March 14 raised its ammonium sulfate prices $60/st for all grades. New postings FOB Hopewell, Va., firmed to $620/st for granular, $590/st for mid-grade, and $570/st for standard. Standard pricing in the Florida market was pegged at the $585/st FOB level, with delivered granular tons quoted as the $685/st mark.
China:
Discussion of prices for shipments of caprolactam-grade amsul in China are all over the board.
Sources said based on the Brazil price and on discussions with Chinese exporters, the price should be at $330/mt FOB. However, when talking about netbacks form sales to Asian buyers, the price looks closer to $245-$250/mt FOB. Across the board, sources said the price has remained stable at $280-$300/mt FOB, and leaning a bit toward the upper end of the range.
Blenders are looking for more amsul as urea prices continue to rise. At the same time, sources said production in China is not as strong as it was previously, and COVID-related lockdowns affect many of the factories that turn out amsul as a byproduct.
South Korea:
Exports of ammonium sulfate for January-February 2022 were reported at 66,000 mt by Trade Data Monitor. This is about 37 percent down from the 105,000 mt exported during the same period in 2021.
The main buyers in the first two months of the year were Mexico with 32,000 mt and the U.S. at 28,000 mt.February 2022 exports were reported at 60,000 mt, up 11 percent from February 2021 exports of 54,000 mt.
Brazil:
The landed ammonium sulfate price in Brazil tightened toward the upper end of the range at $430-$450/mt CFR. Rondonopolis was reported up to $595/mt FOB ex-warehouse.
More blenders are looking to amsul as a substitute for the much more expensive and limited urea. Not only is the demand for amsul moving prices up, but sources said the increase in fuel is raising the cost to transport the product from the ports to regional manufacturers.