All posts by mickeybarb@charter.net

UAN

Eastern Cornbelt, Market Watch, South Central, Southeast, Southern Plains, U.S. Gulf, UAN, Western Cornbelt

U.S. Gulf:

More sources put the NOLA UAN market at a flat $310/st ($9.69/unit) FOB this week, up from the previous $295-$310/st FOB range.

Eastern Cornbelt:

Sources continued to quote the UAN-32 market at a nominal $325-$345/st ($10.16-$10.78/unit) FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt for limited post-fill pricing, although sources said there were few, if any, new offers circulating since the mid-July fill programs.

Western Cornbelt:

Very few UAN prices were circulating since the mid-July fill programs were pulled, but sources reported a limited number of new offers in the $325-$350/st ($10.16-$10.94/unit) FOB range for prompt tons in early August, with the high quoted at St. Louis.

Southern Plains:

Limited UAN-32 offers were quoted in the $325-$345/st ($10.16-$10.78/unit) FOB range out of regional production points and Gulf Coast terminals, although sources reported few new prices circulating since the mid-July fill program announcements.

South Central:

The UAN-32 market was quoted at $340-$345/st ($10.63-$10.78/unit) FOB for the latest prompt offers in the South Central region.

Southeast:

The UAN-32 market was quoted at $325-$335/st ($10.16-$10.47/unit) FOB port terminals in the Southeast, with the upper end reflecting a new round of fill offers announced at midweek. UAN-32 prices in Georgia were reported in the $320-$330/st ($10.00-$10.31/unit) FOB range, up $20-$30/st from the limited fill offers that circulated in mid-July.

Ammonium Nitrate

Ammonium Nitrate, Market Watch, South Central, Southern Plains, Western Cornbelt

Western Cornbelt:

Ammonium nitrate was pegged at a nominal $415-$420/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with no new business to test the market.

Southern Plains:

Ammonium nitrate was under pressure in the Southern Plains, with terminal prices quoted at $400/st FOB Muskogee, Okla., down from the last reported level of 420/st FOB.

South Central:

The latest ammonium nitrate prices were quoted at $350-$355/st FOB Yazoo City, Miss., down another $10-$15/st from the last reported offers. Upriver terminals were pegged at the $400/st FOB level in the region, where tons are available.

Ammonium Sulfate

Ammonium Sulfate, Brazil, China, Eastern Cornbelt, Indonesia, Market Watch, South Central, Southeast, Southern Plains, Turkey, U.S. Gulf, Western Cornbelt

U.S. Gulf:

The NOLA barge market for ammonium sulfate was quoted in the $295-$300/st FOB range, back down from the week-ago $300/st FOB. There appears to be a tug-of-war going on with domestic producers trying to move prices higher. IOC reposted its PCI product to $340/st FOB soon after the Southwestern Fertilizer Conference, up from the previous $300/st FOB.

Eastern Cornbelt:

Ammonium sulfate prices continued to inch higher. The market was quoted at $335-$370/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the low at Cincinnati and the high reported in the Indiana market and out of inland warehouses in Ohio. Other terminal quotes in early August included $347/st FOB East Dubuque and $355/st FOB Ottawa, Ill.

Western Cornbelt:

Ammonium sulfate prices remained at $325-$365/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low reported at St. Louis. Other spot prices in early August included $347/st FOB Camanche and $360/st FOB Caruthersville, while the market FOB St. Paul had reportedly firmed to as high as $370-$375/st FOB from some supplier.

Southern Plains:

Ammonium sulfate prices at Houston and Freeport, Texas, reportedly firmed to $320-$325/st FOB during the week, up from $285-$300/st FOB at last report, with new levels climbing to $340-$350/st FOB Catoosa/Inola. IOC’s postings for granular ammonium sulfate firmed on July 22 to $325/st FOB Houston and $380/st rail-DEL in the Southern Plains.

South Central:

Ammonium sulfate prices were up $20-$30/st in the South Central region, ranging from a low of $325-$330/st FOB Memphis to a high of $365/st FOB Little Rock in early August. IOC’s July 22 postings included $365/st FOB Delta terminals, up $45/st from the company’s May 26 list prices.

Southeast:

Granular ammonium sulfate prices FOB Hopewell, Va., remained at $300/st for granular, $280/st for mid-grade, and $260/st for standard. Delivered pricing in Florida was pegged at $290/st for standard and $340/st for granular.

Sources said they expect higher postings in the near term, however, and some producers were already moving prices up. IOC’s July 22 granular postings included $385/st FOB Tampa, Fla., up a full $60/st from the prior list price.

China:

Ammonium sulfate supplies in China remain steady. Producers are pushing for $205/mt FOB for caprolactam grade amsul, but still cannot break the $200/mt FOB mark.

Demand from buyers in Southeast Asia is providing a lot of support for smaller quantities of various grades of ammonium sulfate. Larger global buyers such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey continue to take all they can and appear ready to pay whatever it takes to get what they need.

Indonesia:

January-July ammonium sulfate imports this year were up 106 percent in Indonesia, to 650,000 mt from 315,000 mt during the same period last year, according to Trade Data Monitor. The main supplier was China with 617,000 mt.

Second-quarter imports were also up, to 266,000 mt from 137,000 mt last year, and June 2021 imports of 124,000 mt were well ahead of the 36,000 mt imported in June 2020.In all periods, China dominated supplies.

Turkey:

Ammonium sulfate imports for the first six months of the year were up 116 percent, to 520,000 mt from 241,000 mt during the same period in 2020, according to Trade Data Monitor. Second-quarter imports were also up dramatically, to 255,000 mt from 90,000 mt in 2020. June 2021 imports were recorded at 37,000 mt against June 2020 imports of 26,000 mt.

Brazil:

The lower end of the delivered ammonium sulfate price tightened in Brazil. Sources reported the Paranagua price for granular product at $335-$345/mt CFR.Sources said even as the market tightened, there were fewer requests for product.

The Rondonopolis price range widened from last week, to $400-$454/mt FOB ex-warehouse. Sources said buyers are holding off on making new orders until they absolutely need the product. Distributors are also focusing on fulfilling orders rather than seeking out new deals.

There remains concern on all sides that once things pick up, there may not be enough trucks to handle the shipment of material from the ports to the distributors and then on to the final clients.

The barter rate for 1 mt of amsul is now reported at 27 bags of corn and 12 bags of soybeans, up from 26 bags of corn and 11 bags of soybeans last week.

Imports of ammonium sulfate in Brazil for the January-July period jumped 38.7 percent, to 1.9 million mt from 1.4 million mt during the same period last year, according to Trade Data Monitor. As usual, the bulk of the tonnage came from China at 1.5 million mt.

July imports were up about 110 percent, to 203,000 mt from 97,000 mt in July 2020. China accounted for 137,000 mt of the tons imported in July this year, followed by Belgium at 51,000 mt.

DAP/MAP

Brazil, Central Florida, China, DAP/MAP, Eastern Cornbelt, India, Market Watch, Saudi Arabia, South Central, Southeast, Southern Plains, U.S. Exports, U.S. Gulf, Western Cornbelt

Central Florida:

DAP trucks loading from Central Florida were reported at $620/st FOB, unchanged from the prior report. MAP postings were quoted at $655/mt FOB, also steady from one week earlier.

U.S. Gulf:

Sources reported softer NOLA DAP and MAP barge markets for the week, noting values on imported material slipping lower compared to prior levels.

Imported DAP cargoes were traded in the $600-$605/st FOB range, shy of the week-ago $610/st FOB floor, while limited August-loading domestic volumes reported at $615/st FOB established the week’s high.

Sales and offers of MAP were steady at a $650/st FOB high for domestic tons, while imports were noted trading in the $640-$645/st FOB range, $5/st below week-ago levels.

An announcement that exports of fertilizer from China, including DAP, would be temporarily suspended was not expected to move the U.S. market. “The China news is likely more smoke and mirrors,” said one market player. “(There is) no impact yet, at least for phosphates.” Chinese producers exported 3.2 million mt of DAP in first-half 2021, according to Reuters.

The nearby DAP barge market was quoted in the $600-$615/st FOB range, softening from $610-$615/st FOB at last report. Players noted MAP barges in the $640-$650/st FOB range for the week, down from $645-$650/st FOB in the prior report.

U.S. Exports:

Nothing new was reported on the Gulf export phosphate markets. Last-done spot transactions included a 10,000 mt DAP cargo priced at $660/mt FOB, while a recent 5,000 mt MAP deal was quoted at $685/mt FOB. Both trades carried final destinations in Latin America, with shipping expected no later than early August.

With no new business reported, the Gulf export market remained at $660/mt FOB for DAP and $685/mt FOB for MAP.

Eastern Cornbelt:

DAP was quoted at $640-$655/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, depending on location, with the low reported at Ottawa and East Dubuque. MAP was pegged in a broad range at $675-$700/st FOB, with the low again confirmed at East Dubuque.

The Cincinnati market in early August remained at $645-$650/st FOB for DAP and $680-$690/st FOB for MAP.

Western Cornbelt:

DAP pricing was steady at $640-$650/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the lower end confirmed at St. Louis, Camanche, and Dubuque, Iowa, and the high at Caruthersville.

MAP was quoted in the $675-$700/st FOB range in the region, depending on location, with the low at Camanche. The St. Louis MAP market was pegged at $680-$690/st FOB in early August.

Southern Plains:

DAP prices were pegged at $640-$645/st FOB Catoosa/Inola and $660/st FOB Houston. The MAP market remained at $690/st FOB Houston, while pricing at Catoosa/Inola was reported in a wider range at $680-$700/st FOB, depending on supplier.

South Central:

DAP was unchanged at $640-$650/st FOB terminals in the South Central region, depending on location, with the low confirmed at Memphis.

Southeast:

MAP postings remained at $640/st FOB Aurora, N.C., but Nutrien on July 23 raised its DAP posting at that location to $650/st FOB. The company also confirmed that it is currently sold out of DAP at Aurora and not accepting any new orders for August.

Saudi Arabia:

Sources quoted the Saudi Arabia phosphate market firming to $605-$615/mt FOB, up from $590-$610/mt FOB at last report.

China:

Prices for DAP remained steady in the $590s/mt FOB, mostly because no new spot deals have been done. Sources reported that even before buyers can get out an offer, they are told by producers that there is no product available.

Many of the producers have switched to MAP and NPKs for better netbacks from global buyers, while those staying with DAP are focusing on the domestic market. The Chinese government has made it clear to producers that building stockpiles of material for the domestic market should be the top priority rather than making offshore sales.

Sources do not expect to see prices come off anytime soon unless major phosphate producing countries Russia and Morocco make a play for the Indian market. Sources said as long as India depends largely on China for its DAP, the Chinese producers have little incentive to lower their prices.

Traders said new restrictions related to COVID-19 are slated to take effect on foreign vessels looking to dock at Chinese ports. Reportedly, the new rules will limit the number of foreign ships and require new procedures for processing the crew’s paperwork.

India:

Sources said Indian buyers now seem more willing to pay the high price tied to Chinese DAP, if only there was product available. The public price has not varied from the $570s/mt CFR only because no new spot deals have been concluded.

Brazil:

The MAP price range at Paranagua has spread out, with sources now calling the market at $735-$780/mt CFR. The move reflects the confusion felt by many in the market. While there is still strong demand for MAP, sources said the market has peaked and is heading for a downward correction.

To back up arguments that prices should be coming off, sources said buyers are no longer looking at near-term purchases. All attention seems to be on fourth-quarter needs.

The Rondonopolis price has tightened to just $850/mt FOB ex-warehouse, according to sources. The move comes as MAP dealers face the same transportation problems as nitrogen and potash dealers. There are still many uncertainties about having enough trucks to handle shipments from the ports and then on to their clients.

The barter rate for 1 mt of MAP is now put at 61 bags of corn or 26 bags of soybeans.

Imports of MAP for the January-July period were down slightly, to 2.46 million mt from 2.54 million mt during the same period last year, according to Trade Data Monitor. The major suppliers this year remained Russia at 898,000 mt and Morocco at 895,000 mt. Saudi Arabia and China together supplied 493,000 mt, followed by the U.S. at 120,000 mt.

July imports were up 17 percent, to 460,000 mt from 392,000 mt in July 2020. Morocco dominated the sales at 205,000 mt, followed by China at 86,000 mt and Russia at 83,000 mt. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. combined supplied another 86,000 mt.

January-July 2021 DAP imports were up 29 percent, to 343,000 mt from 266,000 mt last year. The U.S. and Morocco dominated sales at 81,400 mt and 81,200 mt, respectively. China came in with 64,000 mt, followed by Jordan at 44,000 mt.

July 2021 DAP imports were down 26 percent, to 20,000 mt from 27,000 mt last year. The imports this year were divided among China, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco, each sending less than 10,000 mt last month.

TSP

Market Watch, South Central, Triple Superphosphate, U.S. Gulf, Western Cornbelt

U.S. Gulf:

TSP barge pricing continued to be heard in the $550-$555/st FOB range, steady from one week earlier.

Western Cornbelt:

The TSP market had reportedly firmed to a solid $595/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt for tons offered at St. Louis and Caruthersville.

South Central:

The TSP market was quoted at $575-$595/st FOB in the South Central region, with the low at Memphis and high reported in Arkansas and reflecting $15/st increase from last report.

Phosphoric Acid

Bangladesh, Eastern Cornbelt, India, Market Watch, Phosphoric Acid, Southern Plains, Western Cornbelt

Eastern Cornbelt:

Phos acid prices for August were unchanged at $13.15/unit rail-DEL in Illinois and Wisconsin, and $13.30/unit rail-DEL in Ohio. Nutrien reported a new posted price for September-December at $1,300/st P2O5 rail-DEL, up $100/st from its last reference price.

Western Cornbelt:

The phos acid market for August remained at $13.05/unit rail-DEL in Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa.

Southern Plains:

Phos acid pricing for August was unchanged at $13.05/unit rail-DEL in Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico, and $13.15/unit rail-DEL in Texas, and Louisiana.

India:

India phosphoric acid contracts for the current quarter were valued at $1,160/mt CFR on tons loading from both Morocco and North America, up $162/mt from $998/mt CFR in the prior quarter.

Bangladesh:

BCIC called a tender on Aug. 4 on behalf of TSP Complex Ltd. for the procurement of 10,000 mt P2O5 of phosphoric acid for delivery in one lot on a liner basis to Chittagong within 33 days of the opening of the letter of credit. The tender closes on Sept. 22.

Ammonium Polyphosphate

Ammonium Polyphosphate, Eastern Cornbelt, Market Watch, Southern Plains, Western Cornbelt

Eastern Cornbelt:

10-34-0 was steady at $580-$600/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt for the last reported offers, with the low at Cincinnati.

Western Cornbelt:

The 10-34-0 market was steady at $575-$595/st FOB for the last reported business in the Western Cornbelt.

Southern Plains:

The regional 10-34-0 market was steady at $530-$540/st FOB for the last offers, while 11-37-0 pricing in Texas had reportedly slipped to $580-$590/st FOB.

Muriate of Potash

Brazil, China, Eastern Cornbelt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Market Watch, Potash Muriate, South Central, Southeast, Southern Plains, U.S. Gulf, Western Cornbelt

U.S. Gulf:

The NOLA potash barge market was reported in the $530-$550/st FOB range, down from the week-ago $540-$550/st FOB. There was some suggestion that NOLA prices may have been getting a bit too high to sell upriver.

Eastern Cornbelt:

Potash was quoted at $575-$605/st FOB for prompt tons in the Eastern Cornbelt, depending on location. Pricing in the Cincinnati market spanned a broad range from $585-$605/st FOB in early August, depending on supplier.

Western Cornbelt:

Sources quoted the potash market in a broad range at $570-$600/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, depending on location, with the low confirmed at St. Louis and the high at Caruthersville. The Camanche market was pegged at a firm $585/st FOB for August-September tons, while the St. Paul market fell in the $565-$575/st FOB range in early August.

Nutrien on Aug. 5 announced a new posted price of $570/st FOB Midwest terminals for Q4 shipment, up $170/st from the company’s last posted price and a full $200/st higher than the summer fill price. Nutrien reported a “very tight allocation” on tons offered at the new price.

Southern Plains:

Potash pricing was quoted in a broad range at $545-$590/st FOB in the Southern Plains, with the low at Houston and the high at Catoosa. The last postings from Intrepid FOB Carlsbad, N.M., included $540/st for 60 percent white granular and $547/st for 62 percent white standard.

South Central:

The potash market was pegged in a broad range at $565-$600/st FOB in the South Central region, up $15-$40/st, depending on location, with the low reported at Memphis and the high at Little Rock.

Southeast:

Potash prices had reportedly strengthened to $600-$610/st FOB port terminals in the Southeast, with the upper end reported for recent prompt offers FOB Wilmington, N.C.

China:

The Mosaic Co. believes China’s potash import buyers will need to come to the table soon for a new supply contract. The country’s portside potash inventory was below 2.3 million mt as of late July, about 35 percent lower than last year at this time, according to Jenny Wang, Mosaic’s Vice President, Global Strategy Marketing, speaking at a company earnings call on Aug. 3.

Wang pointed to very strong spring domestic demand, which pulled down inventories, and also highlighted Mosaic’s expectation that potash imports in the second half of the year will be largely slowed down.

Mosaic noted that monthly potash arrivals into China have continued to decline since March. Nevertheless, China’s potash imports in the first six months of 2021 reached 4.6 million mt, nearly 19 percent higher than last year’s 3.9 million mt over the same period, according to Trade Data Monitor.

Mosaic said it sees imports dropping to below 8 million in full-year 2021 due to insufficient supplier participation “at the relatively low” contract price of $247/mt CFR reached earlier this year with Belarusian Potash Co.

China imported 8.8 million mt of potash in 2020, according to Trade Data Monitor.“Given that China’s national potash reserve is 1.5 million mt, the available tons are really minimal,” Wang said.

Mosaic Co. President and CEO Joc O’Rourke said China will have to dip into its national potash reserve if it wants to continue to supply domestic NPK producers and the internal market. Nor does he see any appetite from international producers “needing” to ship their tons to China.

“Things are getting pretty tight for China,” he told analysts at the company’s earnings call.

O’Rourke said the current Chinese contract price of $247/mt CFR is probably “$100/mt lower” than the Southeast Asian price, which, he said, “makes it difficult for China to receive the product they need at those prices.” Consequently, Mosaic sees an early negotiation for China’s 2022 potash import volumes, and at “a significantly higher contract pricing level.”

Malaysia/Indonesia:

Mosaic said preliminary trade data shows that potash imports in Indonesia and Malaysia were up more than 20 percent year-over-year through May. The company noted that crude palm oil (CPO) prices have remained volatile but at “very high levels,” as production increases were smaller than expected and demand for both domestic and export markets stayed healthy.

Mosaic said it is “cautiously optimistic” that travel restrictions related to COVID-19 will not have a significant impact on labor and product movement in the second-half of the year. As a consequence, Mosaic has revised upward its forecast for potash shipments to the two countries for full-year 2021, to 4.9-5.1 million mt in aggregate.

Brazil:

The price of MOP at Paranagua remained steady at $670-$700/mt CFR. Sources said they do not expect to see prices dip because demand is building even as supplies are limited. Traders complain of delays in the arrival and unloading of vessels at Paranagua and other ports.

The Rondonopolis price has tightened on the lower end, moving up the average price. Sources now peg the market at $750-$800/mt FOB ex-warehouse.

Imports of MOP for January-July were up 6.7 percent, to 6.3 million mt from 5.9 million mt during the same period last year, according to Trade Data Monitor. The main suppliers this year were Russia at 1.9 million mt, Canada at 1.8 million mt, and Belarus at 1.4 million mt. The Canadian imports were down almost 10 percent from last year, while Russian imports were up 15 percent and Belarus remained about the same.

July 2021 imports of 1.3 million mt were down only 8,000 mt from July 2020.

Sulfur

ADNOC - Abu Dhabi, Alberta, Brazil, Caribbean, China, Market Watch, Qatar, Sulfur, Tampa, U.S. Gulf, Vancouver, West Coast

Tampa:

Third-quarter molten sulfur contracts were valued at $195/lt CFR, a $3/lt increase from $192/lt CFR in the second quarter.

Refinery utilization lifted slightly for the week ending July 30, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported. Refiners operated at a combined 91.3 percent capacity during the period, up 0.2 percent from the prior week’s 91.1 percent rate. The weekly rate topped the year-ago 79.6 percent, while trailing the 91.8 percent five-year average.

The EIA reported average daily crude inputs at 15.920 million barrels/d for the week, up 45,000 barrels/d from the week-ago 15.875 million barrels/d.

U.S. Gulf:

Genscape reported restarts of a 96,000 barrel/d fluidic catalytic cracking unit (FCC) and a 22,000 barrel/d alkylation unit at the Valero Corpus Christi West refinery on Aug. 2. The FCC had been offline since July 28, while the alkylation unit was powered down on July 29. Valero was also noted taking a sulfur recovery unit (SRU) offline at its Corpus Christi East plant on Aug. 2. That unit was restarted later the same day.

Citgo on Aug. 2 restarted the 69,000 barrel/d No. 2 FCC at its plant in Corpus Christi. Initially shut on June 18 during an unplanned loss of third-party steam supply, the unit was subsequently kept offline for maintenance.

Marathon halted production on a 66,000 barrel/d catalytic reforming unit at the company’s plant in Galveston Bay, Texas, according to an Aug. 3 report. Multiple short outages were reported from the unit between late June and mid-July.

Falling values at Brazil combined with rising offshore freight rates to produce softening price ideas in the Gulf sulfur export market. Sources quoted values in the $175-$185/mt FOB range, a $10/mt decline from the week-ago $185-$195/mt FOB.

Brazil:

Players reported recent Brazil sulfur pricing in the $216-$221/mt CFR range, softening from the prior $221-$230/mt CFR level. Despite the falling values, market players noted ongoing difficulties from some buyers to acquire needed tonnage, suggesting the lower prices could be “short-lived” as a result.

Third-quarter contracts were reported at $221-$223/mt CFR, increasing from $213-$214/mt CFR in the prior report.

Caribbean:

The shuttered Limetree Bay refinery in the U.S. Virgin Island of St. Croix will require several months to fully decommission, according to Reuters. Restarted in February after sitting idle for more than 10 years, the plant was shut by environmental regulators in May following a series of EPA violations, including the release of petroleum droplets over a number of local neighborhoods.

Investors have thus far balked at a request from ownership for an additional $1 billion cash injection needed to bring the plant into full EPA compliance. As a result, Limetree filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July, hiring investment banker Jeffries Financial Group Inc. to facilitate the sale of the plant.

The 200,000 barrel/d facility once boasted a 650,000 barrel/d capacity, the largest refinery in the Western Hemisphere at the time.

Vancouver:

Vancouver prills were seen softening to $173-$176/mt FOB for the week, primarily due to firming international shipping costs, sources said. The market was previously reported in the $175-$178/mt FOB range.

“Softening on international prices is interesting, with many blaming the decrease on vessel freights,” one trader noted. “The additional cost is unable to be passed along (to buyers). Meanwhile, China’s inventories continue to drop and other world markets are keeping supply balanced.”

Alberta:

Sources continued to note supply hiccups out of Alberta, stemming from both an ongoing Suncor turnaround and reported operational issues at Syncrude.

Netbacks on Alberta sulfur slipped to the $68-$106/mt FOB range due to falling netbacks at Vancouver, a decline from the week-ago $68-$108/mt FOB. The range included both molten material contracted into the U.S. and prilled tons selling internationally through the Vancouver export market.

West Coast:

Genscape on Aug. 2 reported the restart of a 65,000 barrel/d cat feed hydrocracker at the Chevron refinery in Richmond, Calif. A 44,000 barrel/d hydrocracker restarted at the same time, but remained below normal activity levels on Aug. 2. The two units, along with a third 60,000 barrel/d hydrocracker, were knocked offline on July 25 due to a power interruption. The 60,000 barrel/d hydrocracker was reported restarting on Aug. 4.

West Coast price ideas were noted in the $173-$176/mt FOB range, falling from $175-$178/mt FOB at last report. Molten sulfur contracts for delivery in the third-quarter were quoted at $150-$155/lt FOB, shifting from $140-$155/lt FOB in the second quarter.

China:

Last-done on the China spot import market continued to be heard in the $213-$216/mt CFR range.

ADNOC:

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) pricing continued to be posted at $175/mt FOB Ruwais, sources said, unchanged from July levels.

Qatar:

Solid sulfur loading from Qatar softened to $164/mt FOB Ras Laffan for loading in August, a $15/mt decline from $179/mt FOB in the prior period.

Sulfuric Acid

Brazil, Canada, Gulf Coast, Market Watch, Midwest, Sulfuric Acid, U.S. Gulf, West Coast

U.S. Gulf:

Sources described U.S. Gulf spot vessel price ideas holding in the $210-$215/mt CFR range, steady from the prior report.

Gulf Coast:

Sulfuric acid tons delivered to the domestic Gulf Coast were quoted in the $85-$110/st DEL range for 2021 annual contracts.

Midwest:

Players noted Midwest pricing on par with the Gulf Coast at $85-$110/st DEL.

West Coast:

Sources described West Coast deliveries at $100-$130/st for 2021 agreements.

Brazil:

The Brazil spot market was heard in the $225-$230/mt CFR range, unmoved from one week earlier.

Canada:

United Steelworkers Local 6500 union members on Aug. 4 ratified a new five-year employment contract with Vale, setting the stage for a return to work at the Sudbury, Ont., copper mine, mill, and smelter, the CBC reported. The agreement ends a two-month strike kicked off at the plant on June 1.

The union’s 2,500-member force voted 85 percent in favor of the proposal. Work is expected to resume on Aug. 9, with production ramping up in the coming months.