Central Florida:
The Central Florida DAP market continued to be priced at $630/st FOB for truck-loaded tons, sources said, unchanged from the prior report. MAP trucks were also posted at $630/st FOB.
North Florida MAP truck offers were last reported on par with the Central Florida market at $630/st FOB.
US Gulf:
Sources noted little price movement on the NOLA barge phosphate markets for the week.
Imported DAP tons were priced close to the week-ago $600/st FOB floor in a $600-$605/st FOB range, sources said, with public offers at those levels drawing few if any bids. Players continued to put the top of the range at $610/st FOB.
With high water levels complicating travel on the lower Mississippi River, barges located at Cairo continued to trade at a premium to NOLA-loaded tons. Upriver barges were reported in a $620-$625/st FOB range.
The NOLA MAP market was also slow. Domestic tons changed hands at $575/st FOB, while most players described the product’s low end as steady at the week-ago $565/st FOB.
Offers for domestically-produced DAP were quoted at $610/st FOB, while MAP barges were offered at $575/st FOB. Both prices were unchanged from the prior week.
The NOLA DAP barge market was reported in a $600-$610/st FOB range, unmoved from the last check. MAP barges ran $565-$575/st FOB, also unchanged from one week earlier.
US Exports:
Nothing new was reported on the Gulf export market during the week. Spot business was last reported at $635/mt FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt:
DAP was unchanged at $670-$680/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the low confirmed at Cincinnati. MAP remained at $625-$650/st FOB, with the upper end out of inland warehouses and the low confirmed at both Cincinnati and Ottawa, Ill.
Western Cornbelt:
DAP was quoted at $665-$680/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the St. Louis market up slightly at $665-$675/st FOB in late March. MAP remained flat at $615-$650/st FOB in the region, with St. Louis pricing pegged in the $615-$625/st FOB range.
California:
MAP postings in California dropped to $780/st FOB or DEL, down from the previous $835/st level.
Pacific Northwest:
MAP pricing in the Pacific Northwest remained at $760-$770/st FOB or DEL in late March, depending on location. While some sources said deals could probably be done at $10-$20/st below that range, actual business at the lower numbers was not confirmed.
Western Canada:
MAP pricing in Western Canada reportedly dropped to C$1,030-$1,080/mt FOB for the latest offers, below the previous C$1,080-$1,100/mt FOB range. Rail-DEL pricing in the region was pegged at C$1,050-$1,060/mt at midweek, down C$10/mt from last report.
China:
Turnarounds at DAP plants are keeping product availability limited. Sources said that producers still prefer to talk directly with buyers instead of using traders to move the limited tonnage allowed to be exported. The lack of any new business has kept the estimated price for DAP at $605-$610/mt FOB.
Trade Data Monitor noted January-February DAP exports at 370,000 mt, up slightly from 363,000 mt exported during the first two months of 2022.
February DAP exports were reported at 94,000 mt, down 17% year-over-year from 114,000 mt. India took 40% of tonnage with 37,000 mt, while Thailand and New Zealand took another 12,000 mt each.
January-February MAP exports were counted at 346,000 mt, increasing from 101,000 mt in the prior year.
February MAP exports stood at 147,000 mt, outpacing the year-ago 48,000 mt. Brazil received 58,000 mt, while Australia took 43,000 mt.
India:
No awards were confirmed in the RCF tender for 100,000 mt of DAP. The tons are to be split between the East and West Coasts.
The tender offers, with the exception of Sun at $614.37/mt CFR and Agrifields at $635-$640/mt CFR, represented prices in the $620s/mt CFR, where many traders had been calling the market. RCF reportedly countered Sun with $610/mt CFR bid in the hopes of speeding up the steady decline in DAP prices recently seen in India.
| Offering Company | US$/mt CFR | |
| East Coast | West Coast | |
| Sun | 614.37 | |
| Aries | 629.79 | |
| Ameropa | 624.89 | 629.89 |
| Agrifields | 635.00 | 640.00 |
Even without confirmation of a deal, sources said they are comfortable calling the market $614-$630/mt CFR. If Sun accepts the counterbid, RCF will still have to find a cargo for the West Coast. One trader said it will be difficult to find a producer willing to accept that price. Sources reported that Sun is backed by Saudi Arabia.
January DAP imports were reported at 564,000 mt, according to Trade Data Monitor, up from 213,000 mt recorded in January 2022. The market’s main sources were Saudi Arabia with 230,000 mt, China with 166,000 mt, and Russia with 66,000 mt.
Brazil:
MAP prices in Brazil continue to drop, falling to $620-$635/mt CFR from last week’s $630-$645/mt. Sources said this level is not expected to hold, with more bids coming in at $600/mt CFR and below.
Rondonopolis is also showing softer prices. The inland market is now pegged at $725-$770/mt FOB ex-plant with limited trading.