US Gulf:
The NOLA ammonium sulfate barge market remained quiet at $400-$410/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market was unchanged at $460-$480/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the Cincinnati market quoted in the $465-$480/st FOB range.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing was steady at $445-$480/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low confirmed at St. Louis and the high in Iowa.
Northern Plains:
Granular ammonium sulfate remained at $460-$475/st FOB St. Paul and $495/st FOB Sioux City, Iowa, for the last confirmed offers. Delivered ammonium sulfate prices were up slightly in the Northern Plains, to $460-$470/st in North Dakota from the prior $450-$465/st DEL range.
Northeast:
Delivered ammonium sulfate prices in the Northeast jumped to $510-$545/st, up from the previous $490-$515/st DEL range, following last week’s posted increase from AdvanSix.
AdvanSix on Oct. 17 raised its ammonium sulfate postings at Hopewell, Va., to $490/st FOB for granular, $450/st FOB for mid-grade, and $430/st FOB for standard. Those levels are up $40/st from the company’s Aug. 15 reference prices.
Eastern Canada:
Ammonium sulfate fill pricing strengthened to C$818-$825/mt FOB in Eastern Canada, up C$63/mt from last report at the low end of the range.
China:
Sources said all the talks about ammonium sulfate deals in China are revolving around $215-$220/mt FOB, but nothing has been done at those levels. There are reports that some small sales were made at the lower end of the existing $220-$225/mt FOB range.
Rumors are circulating that the Chinese government will ban all fertilizer exports in 2023, with the exception of ammonium sulfate.
January-September 2022 exports of ammonium sulfate were reported at 8.8 million mt by Trade Data Monitor, up from the 7.1 million mt exported during the same period in 2021. The main buyer was Brazil with 2.7 million mt, followed by Vietnam with 730,000 mt and Turkey with 703,000 mt.
Third-quarter ammonium sulfate exports were reported at 4 million mt, up almost 60% from the 2.5 million mt exported during July-September 2021.Brazil took 1.8 million mt, with all the other buyers taking less than 300,000 mt.
September 2022 exports were reported at 1.8 million mt, up from 775,000 mt in September 2021. Brazil grabbed 42% of the exports at 735,000 mt.
Brazil:
The ammonium sulfate price range in Brazil slipped to $280-$285/mt CFR. Sources said the drop reflects the softening urea market. Rondonopolis also showed a decline in pricing to $410-$420/mt FOB ex-warehouse.