US Gulf:
The NOLA barge market for ammonium sulfate firmed to $290-$300/st FOB for new business, up from last week’s $275-$285/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Granular ammonium sulfate prices continued to move up in the wake of higher producer postings. The market firmed to $330-$350/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, up from last week’s $315-$345/st range, with the low reported at Cincinnati. Interoceanic’s (IOC) Feb. 13 list prices included $350/st FOB Ohio River terminals and $360/st FOB Illinois River terminals.
The latest granular ammonium sulfate offers in the Great Lakes region strengthened to $345-$355/st FOB, with the high confirmed out of multiple Michigan warehouses.
Western Cornbelt:
The granular ammonium sulfate market firmed to $320-$350/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, up from the previous week’s $310-$330/st FOB, with the low confirmed at St. Louis. IOC’s Feb. 13 postings included $350/st FOB St. Louis and $360/st FOB Upper Mississippi River terminals.
Southern Plains:
Granular ammonium sulfate pricing strengthened to $325-$350/st FOB in the Southern Plains, up sharply from the prior $290-$315/st FOB range, with the low confirmed at Houston, Texas, and the high at Catoosa/Inola. Feb. 13 postings from IOC included $325/st FOB Houston, up $25/st from the company’s Jan. 31 list price.
South Central:
The ammonium sulfate market remained in a very broad range at $270-$350/st FOB in the South Central region, depending on grade and location, with the low confirmed in southern Mississippi and Alabama and the high in Arkansas.
Southeast:
The latest ammonium sulfate postings from AdvanSix at Hopewell, Va., effective Feb. 5, included $350/st FOB for granular, $330/st FOB for mid-grade, and $310/st FOB for standard. The new list prices reflect a $15/st increase for granular and a $25/st increase for mid-grade and standard from AdvanSix’s Dec. 18, 2023, postings.
Northwest Europe:
Standard ammonium sulfate continued to trade in small lots at the previous $170-$195/mt FOB range, with sales heard in Spain, France, and Ireland. One sale in the mid-€140s/mt FOB, equivalent to $156-$157/mt FOB, was rumored at the end of last week but could not be confirmed.
Some sources expressed concerns around a potential sulfur shortage, which could affect caprolactam and ammonium sulfate production, but such impacts have yet to be felt as the market shows good liquidity, albeit at stable prices.
China:
Nearly every amsul supplier showed higher prices coming out of China’s Lunar New Year holiday relative to pre-holiday levels.
Stronger demand from domestic NPK producers, increased interest from Southeast Asian buyers, and steady demand from Brazil have combined to lift the market, players said. Prices remained steady at $145-$150/mt FOB during the week, but sources expect the demand pressure to push prices higher going forward.
TCC was slated to conduct a selling tender this week. If the tender comes off as planned, players might get a clearer idea of where buyers and sellers think the market should be, sources said.
South Korea:
South Korea exported just 84 mt of ammonium sulfate in January, Trade Data Monitor reported, the country’s lowest January export total in five years, with the tons split evenly between Thailand and Malaysia. Recent January exports were reported in the 6,000-51,000 mt range.
Brazil:
Ammonium sulfate imports slid to $175-$180/mt CFR, losing $5/mt from the top of the range. Despite the decline, new offers were reported firming to $190/mt CFR – reflecting updated FOB values at China – though no sales were confirmed at that level.
Low seasonal demand for nitrogen fertilizers and the weakening CFR market began to impact pricing at Rondonópolis. Amsul was noted at $290-$305/mt FOB ex-warehouse, falling $10/mt from last week’s $300-$315/mt FOB.