The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration published a notice in the Federal Register Aug. 12 that it will revoke an antidumping order on ammonium nitrate from Russia, effective Aug. 20, 2016. The reason given was that no domestic party indicated that it planned to participate in the five-year sunset review of the dumping order.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) on July 1 (GM July 8, p. 1) initiated a five-year sunset review to determine whether revoking the antidumping duty order on ammonium nitrate imports from Russia would be likely to lead to the continuation or recurrence of material injury to the domestic AN industry “within a reasonably foreseeable time.”

Israel Chemicals Ltd. has halted its potash project in Ethiopia, according to a report Aug. 15 in the Marker economic daily. The report said that ICL had taken its decision due to delays by the Ethiopian government on giving concrete assurances regarding the operation of the planned mine. ICL would not comment on the report.

The Marker estimated ICL has invested $180 million so far in the project. This includes the $135 million paid for Allana Potash which was granted the concession to mine potash in Ethiopia. The report said that the Ethiopian government had not given ICL response regarding tax issues, the price of electricity from the state-owned utility and water supplies.

In late December, ICL said it was still evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of the Ethiopian potash project and would take a decision in mid-2016. The paper reported that ICL had fired 120 people working on the project and that CEO Stefan Borgas instructed that all investments in the Ethiopian project be halted until the Ethiopian government approves the regulatory framework for the project.

An Israeli analyst recently told Green Markets that the Ethiopian project was based on a potash price of $430/mt, which is almost double current levels.

Amber won the NFL follow-up DAP tender for 50,000 mt to be delivered to India’s West Coast. The winning offer was $339.75/mt CFR with material from China. The cargo will be delivered to either Kandla or Mundra. The award was the final part of an effort by NFL to buy 150,000 mt by October.

The delivered price represents evidence of a steady decline in the Indian import price. However, the netback comes out in the high-end of the current China market. Once credit, freight and other costs are backed off, sources estimated the netback to China at $323-$324/mt FOB.

Israel Chemicals Ltd. U.K. announced today that it is beginning consultation over proposals to cut a further 140 jobs at its Boulby potash mine in northeast England before the end of this year as part of the next phase of restructuring. The latest job cuts follow last November’s announcement that 240 jobs would go and contractor numbers would be cut by around 140.

The job losses are a result of a move to reduce the level of potash mining at Boulby over the next couple of years as the company focuses on polyhalite production – marketed as polysulfate – and gradually ceases production of potash at the mine.

Announcing the next phase of restructuring of operations at Boulby, ICL today said it is to seek approval from the North York Moors Park Authority to extend planning permission for a further 40 years.

“At the same time as accelerating polysulfate production, the mining of the limited remaining economically viable reserves of potash will continue at a lower rate until completed,” the company said. “The need to realign potash production reflects the continuing decline in potash prices.”

As a consequence, ICL UK said it has begun consultation with the recognized trade union on around 140 job losses by the end of the year.

ICL said it is working hard to expand the polysulfate market including a program of developing a range of innovative polysulfate products. In addition, the company said it had identified an opportunity to produce a compacted potash and polysulfate product marketed as ‘PotashpluS’.

Arab Potash Co. (APC) confirmed it has reached an agreement with China’s Sinochem Macao for the supply of potash. The supplier did not disclose the volumes agreed but said the terms and conditions of the deal were in line with quantities outlined in the long-term agreement between the two parties signed in 2013, and in line with other potash suppliers for “the relevant period.”

Last year, APC and Sinochem Macao agreed to the supply of 600,000 mt of potash for firm quantities plus optional tons for delivery during 2015.

APC said the two sides agreed to continue their cooperation and their long-term partnership in the supply, promotion and distribution of potash in China and this latest agreement paves the way to maintaining a regular volume of potash shipments from Jordan to China.

Tampa anhydrous ammonia for August is $270/mt CFR. The Green Markets dated Aug. 12, 2016, incorrectly listed it as NA in the Price Scan.

A worker injured in an accident at Agrium Inc.’s Vanscoy potash mine in Saskatchewan Aug. 8 passed away the night of Aug. 10, the company has confirmed.

Agrium said the mine site remains shut down and the company is in contact with and cooperating with regulators. The company said it was unable to comment on startup of production at this time.

K+S Kali Group posted a 92 percent drop in second-quarter operating earnings (EBIT 1) to €15 million ($16.7 million) on revenues of €732.1 million, compared with year-ago operating earnings of €179.2 million on sales of €914.4 million. The company cited lower average prices in its Potash and Magnesium Products business unit as well as lower sales volumes following the production standstills at the Werra sites for the fall in earnings. Also contributing, was the demand-related lower de-icing salt sale volumes particularly in the North American business as a result of the mild 2015/16 winter.

In spite of the damage to a processing vessel during a routine test on July 17, K+S said the facilities at the Legacy potash project have not been affected by the damage and commissioning of the plant is still scheduled for the end of August 2016. However, the company said production of the first ton of potash at the site will be delayed until the second quarter of 2017 from the end of 2016 as originally planned.  While K+S said it is still targeting to reach production capacity of 2 million mt at the end of 2017 at Legacy, production will be below the expected volume of up to 1 million mt during the course of the delayed start-up period next year.

OCI Partners LP, citing lower ammonia and methanol prices, posted a second-quarter loss of $15 million on sales of $56 million, compared to a year-ago net income of $13 million on sales of $80 million.

While ammonia production volumes were up at 75,000 st from the year-ago 63,000 st, average selling prices were $301/mt, down from $447/mt. Methanol production was also up, but prices declined to $192/mt from $362/mt.

Correction: Volumes were initially listed as sales volumes instead of production volumes.

Yara International ASA has entered into an agreement to acquire the Tata Chemicals Ltd.’s Babrala urea plant and distribution business in Uttar Pradesh for US$400 million on a debt and cash free basis, including normalized net working capital.

The plant has an annual production of 700,000 mt ammonia and 1.2 million mt urea, and generated revenues and EBITDA of respectively $350 million and $35 million in the financial year ended March 31, 2016. The plant was commissioned in 1994, and Yara says it is the most energy efficient plant in India, with energy efficiency on a par with Yara’s best plants.

Yara has operated in India since the 1990s, focusing in recent years on premium product sales in the West and South of the country, saying it has delivered strong volume growth and margins well above Yara’s average for the region.