US Gulf:
Players said most sellers were moving toward IOC’s recent $315/st FOB posting for NOLA. Prices continued to be put in the $300-$310/st FOB range, however, while some players reported trades in the $305-$310/st FOB range.
Eastern Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market remained at $370-$385/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the lower end of the range reflecting the latest postings from Interoceanic (IOC) out of terminals on the Upper Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio rivers.
Western Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate remained at $350-$385/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the high confirmed at Omaha, Neb. The St. Louis market was quoted in the $350-$365/st FOB range in late March.
California:
Ammonium sulfate was steady at $430-$465/st FOB in California, with the low for standard and the high for granular and/or premium grade.
Pacific Northwest:
Granular ammonium sulfate was unchanged at $440-$445/st FOB or DEL in the Pacific Northwest, with standard grade referenced at $405/st FOB or DEL.
Western Canada:
New pricing for ammonium sulfate in Western Canada slipped to C$520-$535/mt DEL, down from the prior C$535-$600/mt DEL range for March-April shipments.
China:
Prices dropped to $150-$160/mt FOB for caprolactam-grade amsul. Sources said that a reduction in output by most industrial plants in China has led to a drop in supplies of the amsul byproduct. At the same time, production facilities in neighboring countries are also operating at reduced rates, lowering demand.
Ammonium sulfate exports for January-February were counted at 1.8 million mt, according to Trade Data Monitor, rising from the prior-year 1.6 million mt.
February exports totaled 887,000 mt, up 38% year-over-year from 641,000 mt. Myanmar led buyers with 168,000 mt, followed by Turkey with 133,000 mt and Brazil with 112,000 mt.
Brazil:
Prices dropped about $20/mt to $185-$195/mt CFR. Traders expect to see prices continue to come off. Sources said the drop in urea prices was not matched by amsul prices, leaving ammonium sulfate, normally a substitute for urea, about 25% more expensive than urea on a nitrogen basis.
The global fall in amsul prices was reflected in the lower end of the price range in Rondonopolis. Sources put the market at $310-$350/mt FOB ex-warehouse.