U.S. Imports:
Imports of phosphate rock fell 59.4% for March, to 95,094 st from the year-ago 234,276 st. July-March totals stood at 2.08 million st, however, off 12.2% from the year-ago 2.37 million st.
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Phosphoric Acid
U.S. Exports:
March wet-process phosphoric acid exports dropped 87.4%, to 5,439 st from the prior-year 43,100 st. July-March exports were up 22.4%, however, to 187,159 st from the prior 152,954 st.
Eastern Cornbelt:
May pricing for phos acid remained at the $17.50/unit rail-DEL level in the Eastern Cornbelt.
Western Cornbelt:
Phos acid prices were steady at $17.50/unit rail-DEL in the Western Cornbelt for May tons.
Northern Plains:
Phos acid pricing for May shipments was quoted at $17.50/unit rail-DEL in the Northern Plains, unchanged from April.
Great Lakes:
The phos acid market was pegged at $17.50/unit rail-DEL in the Great Lakes region for May tons, unchanged from the April price.
India:
The first-quarter India phosphoric acid contract was set at $1,530/mt P2O5 CFR, up $200/mt from the preceding agreement. Supplier offers for the next round of contracting were rumored around $2,000/mt P2O5 CFR, with nothing settled as of May 12.
Ammonium Polyphosphate
Eastern Cornbelt:
The 10-34-0 market was pegged at $890-$990/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt in early May.
Western Cornbelt:
10-34-0 pricing remained in the $890-$900/st FOB range in the Western Cornbelt, with the high confirmed in Iowa.
Northern Plains:
Sources continued to report limited 10-34-0 offers at $900-$910/st FOB and $910-$920/st DEL in the Northern Plains for spring tons.
Great Lakes:
The 10-34-0 market in the Great Lakes region was quoted at $910/st FOB Maumee, Ohio, for spring tons.
Northeast:
The 10-34-0 market remained at $900/st FOB terminals in upstate New York, unchanged from last report.
Muriate of Potash
U.S. Gulf:
NOLA potash barges for the domestic market weakened, with the $740/st FOB touted in recent weeks for the forward market reported to be achieved for prompt product. Domestic product was put in the $740-$775/st FOB range, with export price ideas still called $810/st FOB.
U.S. Imports:
Potash imports for July-March were off 1.6% from the year-ago, to 10.13 million st from 10.30 million st. March imports declined 17.8% , to 1.17 million st from the prior 1.42 million st.
July-March imports originating from Canada totaled 8.53 million st, followed by Russia’s 677,028 st, and 565,355 st from Belarus.
U.S. Exports:
MOP exports moved up 38.5% in July-March, to 2.87 million st from the year-ago 2.07 million st. Offshore shipments totaled 331,402 st for March, a 231.9% increase from 99,860 st recorded in the prior March.
Eastern Cornbelt:
Potash pricing in the Eastern Cornbelt was quoted at $790-$805/st FOB, depending on location, down $10/st at the high end of the range. The Cincinnati market was pegged at $805/st FOB during the week, with Ottawa pricing reported at the $800/st FOB level.
Western Cornbelt:
Potash pricing slipped to $785-$800/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, depending in location, with the St. Louis market quoted at $785-$795/st FOB during the week.
Northern Plains:
Sources quoted potash pricing at $790-$805/st FOB St. Paul in early May. The latest prices FOB Saskatchewan mines for 2Q tons were reported at $728-$740/st after netbacks, depending on grade and destination. Rail-DEL pricing in North Dakota was reported in the $840-$850/st range for limited tons.
Great Lakes:
Potash prices were quoted at $800-$815/st FOB in the Great Lakes region, down from $833-$855/st FOB at last report, with the low confirmed at St. Louis, Mich., for red potash and the high at Webberville for white tons.
Northeast:
Potash prices were under pressure in the Northeast. New levels were confirmed at $795-$850/st FOB, down from a broad range of $800-$900/st FOB at last report, with the low confirmed at East Liverpool and the high at Fairless Hills for May-June tons.
Eastern Canada:
The potash market in Eastern Canada was pegged at C$1,050-$1,060/mt FOB regional warehouses, down from a high of C$1,108/mt FOB in mid-April.
Bangladesh:
Sources said the Ministry of Agriculture has awarded a total of 257,000 mt of standard potash under its tender that closed last month (GM April 22, p. 15). The award prices reportedly ranged from $1,045-$1,250/mt CFR. No further details were immediately available.
Brazil:
Slight fluctuations in MOP pricing occurred, leaving the market at $1,150-$1,215/mt CFR. Sources said so far, despite some pressure on demand, the price is expected to remain stable.
Despite losing supplies from Russia and Belarus due to international sanctions, part of the optimism is from media reports that Arab Potash in Jordan has promised to step up its shipments to Brazil.
Last year Jordan sent 159,000 mt of potash to Brazil. APC is now promising to send 320,000 mt in 2022, and gradually increase shipments to 1.2 million mt/y in five years. So far this year, according to Trade Data Monitor, Brazil has not recorded any tons arriving from Jordan.
Rondonopolis pricing has tightened to $1,300-$1,350/mt FOB ex-warehouse as demand remains steady.
Imports of MOP in the first four months of this year are reported at 3.8 million mt, up 18% from the 3.2 million mt imported during the same period last year, according to Trade Data Monitor. The top three suppliers remain Canada with 1.1 million mt, accounting for 29% of imports; Russia with 1 million mt, for 27% of imports; and Belarus with 744,000 mt, for 20% of the market.
April 2022 imports were reported at 1.3 million mt, up 83.5% from April 2021 imports of 685,000 mt. Canada and Russia together accounted for about 58% of April imports with 377,000 mt and 354,000 mt, respectively.
Sulfur
Tampa:
Despite some increases expected in a number of international markets through the short-term, sources described “little consensus on continued direction for sulfur pricing” among market watchers.
The second-quarter Tampa molten contract was negotiated at $481/lt CFR, rising from $282/lt CFR in the prior period.
Nationwide refinery utilization moved higher in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) most recent report. Capacity was noted at 90.0% for the week ending May 6, a 1.6% hike from the prior 88.4%, topping both the year-ago 86.1% and the five-year average of 84.7%.
Crude inputs moved up as well, registering an average 15.696 million barrels/d through the period, a 230,000 barrel/d increase from 15.466 million barrels/d at last report.
U.S. Imports:
Sulfur imports for March increased 6.0%, to 296,628 st from the prior-year 279,902 st. Imports totaled 2.49 million st in the July-March period, however, falling 7.2% year-over-year from 2.69 million st.
U.S. Exports:
Exports moved up 36.3% in July-March, to 1.11 million st from the year-ago 813,575 st. Cargoes were noted at 75,011 st for March, up 13.8% from the year-ago 65,916 st.
U.S. Gulf:
Recent U.S. Gulf export values continued to be reported in the $470-$480/mt FOB range, steady from the prior week.
Brazil:
Last-done Brazil imports were quoted in a wide $510-$530/mt CFR range. Players generally predicted firming prices in the next round of business. Import contracts were reported at $480-$485/mt CFR for second-quarter delivery.
Vancouver:
With delivered values at China on the rise, players noted higher levels in the Vancouver prill market, citing prices in the $465-$470/mt FOB range, above the week-ago $445-$450/mt FOB.
Alberta:
Alberta netbacks were indicated in the $395-$411/mt FOB range, up from $375-$411/mt FOB reported previously. The range included molten tons contracted into the US market at the high, while solid material exported via Vancouver was understood to comprise the low.
West Coast:
West Coast spot levels moved up to an indicated $465-$470/mt FOB range, from $445-$450/mt FOB at last report. Second-quarter molten contracts were reported at $375-$390/lt FOB, above $230-$245/lt FOB reported in the first quarter.
China:
Sources reported spot cargoes lifting to $510-$515/mt CFR at China. The market was previously noted at $495-$500/mt CFR.
ADNOC:
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. sulfur offers for May were heard at $470/mt FOB Ruwais, a $50/mt rise from April’s reported $420/mt FOB posting.
Qatar:
Muntajat solid sulfur tons was posted at $460/mt FOB Ras Laffan, sources said. The Qatar market was called $430/mt FOB in prior period, a $30/mt difference.
Sulfuric Acid
U.S. Gulf:
Nothing new was reported on the week’s Gulf import sulfuric acid vessel market, leaving pricing in the $265-$270/mt CFR range.
U.S. Imports:
March sulfuric acid imports totaled 361,369 st, rising 12.6% from the year-ago 320,921 st. July-March volumes were noted at 2.66 million st, however, an 11.8% decline from the year-ago 3.02 million st.
U.S. Exports:
Sulacid exports fell 15.8% in July-March, to 234,563 st from the year-ago 278,471 st. Shipments were noted at 23,905 st for March, off 84.1% from the year-ago 150,734 st.
Gulf Coast:
A reported $50/st increase applied to annual contracts with a quarterly adjustment clause stretched 2022 Gulf Coast sulfuric acid contracts to a wide $195-$280/st DEL range, players said. The market was previously reported at $195-$230/st DEL.
Midwest:
Material delivered to locations in the Midwest kept pace with the Gulf Coast, firming to $195-$280/st DEL for contract-year 2022, sources said. Previously, Midwest contracts were reported at $195-$230/st DEL.
West Coast:
Sources quoted annual West Coast agreements adjusting up to $50/st higher, to $185-$270/st DEL from $185-$220/st DEL in the prior report.
Brazil:
Recent Brazil spot imports continued to be heard in the $275-$280/mt CFR range, unchanged from week-ago levels.
Ammonium Thiosulfate
Eastern Cornbelt:
The ammonium thiosulfate market was pegged at $660-$700/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the high reported at Cincinnati and Terre Haute and the low confirmed at Seneca.
Western Cornbelt:
Ammonium thiosulfate pricing remained at $685-$725/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, depending on location, with the high confirmed in Iowa.
Northern Plains:
Ammonium thiosulfate pricing was steady at $675/st FOB in North Dakota on a spot basis.
Great Lakes:
The ammonium thiosulfate market was quoted solidly at the $675/st level FOB Webberville and Maumee in early May.
Eastern Canada:
The ammonium thiosulfate market was also unchanged at C$879-$970/mt FOB in Eastern Canada, depending on location and supplier.
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate
Germany/Benelux:
Yara on May 10 posted new list prices for June deliveries of CAN-27 (YaraBelaNitromag) in Germany and Benelux. The new prices are set at €640/mt bulk CIF for both countries, with immediate effect, up €20/mt from the price for May deliveries (GM May 6, p. 20). Yara warned that only a limited volume would be available.
NPSZ
Cornbelt:
The NPSZ market was reported at $985-$1,005/st FOB in the Cornbelt, depending on location.
Sulfate of Potash
U.S. Imports:
March SOP imports totaled 11,262 st, up 180.6% from the year-ago 4,014 st. July-March volumes were counted at 125,069 st, a 45.6% increase on the year-ago 85,903 st.
U.S. Exports:
SOP exports for July-March firmed 8.8%, to 46,659 st from 42,881 st. Totals were reported at 4,728 st for March, up 20.2% from 3,932 st posted one year earlier.
Eastern Canada:
The SOP market remained at C$1,395-$1,400/mt FOB in Eastern Canada in early May.