US Gulf:
NOLA ammonium sulfate barges remained in the $400-$410/st FOB range.
Eastern Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market was steady at $460-$480/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, depending on location, with the Cincinnati market quoted in the $465-$480/st FOB range. Michigan sources pegged the granular market at the $494/st FOB level on a spot basis.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing was quoted at $445-$460/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low confirmed at St. Louis.
Northern Plains:
Granular ammonium sulfate was pegged at $460-$475/st FOB St. Paul and $495/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa, while delivered tons remained at $450-$465/st in the North Dakota market.
Northeast:
Delivered granular ammonium pricing in the Northeast remained at $490-$515/st in early October. Terminal prices were steady at $455-$485/st FOB in the region, depending on location.
Eastern Canada:
Ammonium sulfate fill pricing strengthened to C$755-$825/mt FOB in Eastern Canada, up from the last confirmed C$685-$790/mt FOB range.
China:
Sources described the market as soft but stable. Prices remained in the $230s/mt FOB for caprolactam grade ammonium sulfate, while compacted granular was reported in the $260/mt FOB range. Part of the lull in the market was attributed to the holiday break for the Oct. 1 National Day celebrations.
Turkey:
Imports of ammonium sulfate were reported at 732,000 mt by Trade Data Monitor, up 20% from the 608,000 mt imported during the same period in 2021. China was the main supplier with 597,000 mt, followed by Belgium with 100,000 mt.
August 2022 imports were reported at 46 mt, down dramatically from the 29,000 mt imported during August 2021.
Brazil:
Ammonium sulfate prices in Brazil softened to $280-$290/mt CFR. Reports circulated that bids at $270/mt CFR were made for material still on vessels heading to Brazil.
Rondonopolis is reported at $385-$430/mt FOB ex-warehouse. Sources said buyers are on the sidelines while they wait to see how the weather affects their crops.
Ammonium sulfate imports for January-September 2022 were reported at 3.1 million mt by Trade Data Monitor, up 23% from the 2.5 million mt imported during the same period in 2021. The main supplier was China with 2.7 million mt, followed by Belgium with 152,000 mt, and the US with 113,000 mt.
September 2022 imports were reported at 548,000 mt, up 66% from the 330,000 mt imported during September 2021, with 519,000 mt of this year’s total coming from China.
Third-quarter imports were pegged at 1.1 million mt, up from the 831,000 mt imported during the same period in 2021.