US Gulf:
The ammonium sulfate barge market remained at the $220/st FOB NOLA level for the last confirmed trades, with offers for new business reported in the $230-$240/st FOB range.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing edged up to $300-$310/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt in late August.
Western Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market was unchanged at $270-$300/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low at St. Louis and the high in Iowa.
Northern Plains:
The granular ammonium sulfate market was steady at $280-$300/st FOB and $280-$305/st DEL in the Northern Plains.
Great Lakes:
Ammonium sulfate was quoted at $320-$330/st FOB for the latest offers out of Michigan terminals, up from $290-$310/st FOB at last report.
Northeast:
Ammonium sulfate pricing in the Northeast was pegged at $310-$315/st FOB, up from the prior $300-$305/st FOB range, with the low reported at Lancaster, Pa., and the high at East Liverpool, Ohio. Delivered pricing in the region firmed to $310-$335/st from the previous $300-$310/st DEL range.
Eastern Canada:
Ammonium sulfate was steady at C$500-$518/mt FOB in Eastern Canada.
China:
The China ammonium sulfate price has settled at $165-$170/mt FOB, sources said. Producers are pushing hard to regain ground that was lost in recent weeks but have found getting even $170/mt FOB to be a hard slog.
Sources said the price drop is not unsurprising given the growing softness in the international urea markets. Chinese producers looking to step up sales to Latin American buyers are finding softer prices there, as well. Brazil, China’s main amsul buyer, has shown a steady decline in prices. The most recent reports put granular amsul at $180-$185/mt CFR, down about $20/mt from just one week earlier.
Producers are also facing strong pushback from regional buyers. Buyers in the Philippines are now bidding at $170/mt CFR, pushing potential netbacks to sub-$160/mt FOB China.
January-July ammonium sulfate exports firmed 22%, according to Trade Data Monitor, to 6.9 million mt from 5.7 million mt in January-July 2022. July exports of 1.1 million mt were up from 908,000 mt shipped in July 2022. Brazil led July buyers with 448,000 mt, followed by Myanmar with 114,00 mt.
South Korea:
Exports from South Korea were down, illustrating a general decline in regional demand. Trade Data Reporter showed January-July exports at 104,000 mt, off 28% from the year-ago 144,000 mt. July exports firmed slightly, to 20,000 mt from 18,000 mt in July 2022. Italy received the entire amount.
Brazil:
Ammonium sulfate imports fell to $180-$185/mt CFR, off about 13% from the week-ago $205-$215/mt CFR. Players noted long inventories at China, while urea remains at an approximate 10% discount to amsul based on nitrogen content.
Corn safrinha demand kept prices relatively stable in Rondonopolis, however, with levels softening to $310-$330/mt FOB ex-warehouse. Low liquidity remains, as farmers anticipate further declines in the coming weeks.