U.S. Gulf: Despite the uptick in the urea market, a slow, weaker tone was still apparent in the UAN market, which was called $255-$265/st FOB ($7.97-$8.28/unit FOB). Sources said there was more pent-up demand with urea, but more of a sense of full inland inventories with UAN.
UAN imports were up 22 percent for the July-December period, to 1.87 million st from the year-ago 1.53 million st. December, however, saw a 31 percent decline, to 298,926 st from the year-ago 434,052 st.
Eastern Cornbelt: Illinois sources last week quoted spot UAN-32 pricing as low as $330/st ($10.31/unit) FOB river terminals. Elsewhere in the region, the UAN-32 market was pegged more commonly at the $345/st ($10.78/unit) FOB level at mid-month.
Western Cornbelt: UAN-32 pricing in the Western Cornbelt was tagged in a broad range at $335-$360/st ($10.47-$11.25/unit) FOB terminals last week, with both the upper and lower ends of the range quoted in the Missouri market. An Iowa source tagged the common dealer market at the $10.60/unit FOB level at mid-month.
Northern Plains: UAN pricing in the Northern Plains was down from last report. Regional sources quoted the UAN market in the $10.71-$11.25/unit FOB range, with the low reported by Minnesota contacts as UAN-28 ($300/st) FOB on a spot basis. Delivered UAN-28 was pegged in the $345-$350/st ($12.32-$12.50/unit) range in North Dakota, depending on location and time of delivery.
Great Lakes: The UAN-32 market was tagged at the $345/st ($10.78/unit) FOB level in Wisconsin, while rail-delivered tons were quoted in the $345-$360/st ($10.78-$11.25/unit) level in the Michigan market. Out of Michigan terminals, UAN-28 pricing was pegged in the $312-$317/st ($11.14-$11.32/unit) FOB range to the dealer.
Northeast: Sources reported pressure on UAN terminal pricing on the East Coast, fueled by a vessel market that was rumored to be in the low-to-mid $270s/mt CFR for new tons. Sources quoted UAN-30 at the $295/st FOB ($9.83/unit) level out of Baltimore last week, with UAN-32 pegged at the $310/st ($9.69/unit) mark FOB Baltimore or Savannah, Ga.