U.S. Gulf: Guided by a firming paper market valued at $190-$195/st FOB, prompt UAN prices were quoted in the $180-$190/st ($5.63-$5.94/unit) FOB range.
The East Coast vessel market was called strong and getting stronger. Most sources continued to put price ideas around $200/mt CFR, although some had bigger ideas. “I think the next import sale will be at $215/mt CFR,” one trader said.
UAN imports were down 18 percent in January, to 271,579 st from the year-ago 332,839 st. July-January imports were off 11 percent, to 1.75 million st from 2 million st. YTD imports from China were down at 93,467 st from the year-ago 201,759 st, while imports from Russia were up at 815,522 st from 701,632 st.
Eastern Cornbelt: The UAN-28 market was quoted at $197-$201.32/unit ($7.04-$7.19/unit) FOB Cincinnati on the low end, with the upper end of the regional range pegged at $219.80 ($7.85/unit) FOB inland terminals on a spot basis. Illinois sources pegged the UAN-32 market at $244.80-$246.40/st ($7.65-$7.70/unit) FOB for new business.
The UAN-28 market out of Michigan terminals was tagged at $225-$228.20/st ($8.04-$8.15/unit) FOB last week, with the dealer market FOB Courtright quoted at $215-$217/st ($7.68-$7.75/unit) for new sales
Western Cornbelt: Sources quoted the UAN-32 market at $240-$250/st ($7.50-$7.81/unit) FOB in the Western Cornbelt, with the low end reported at Fort Dodge and reflecting a
$10/st increase from last report.
Northern Plains: UAN-28 pricing was pegged at $214-$220/st ($7.64-$7.86/unit) FOB regional terminals in the Northern Plains, up some $15-$20/st from last report. Delivered UAN-28 in North Dakota was higher as well at $250/st ($8.93/unit), representing a $20-$30/st increase.
Northeast: Citing “lots of (buying) activity” and “very limited supply for March/April,” sources reported a rapidly firming UAN market out of East Coast terminals. UAN-32 pricing FOB Baltimore had reportedly firmed to $210-$220/st ($6.56-$6.88/unit) FOB for March tons, up a full $30-$35/st from just three weeks earlier.
Out of terminals in upstate New York, the UAN-32 market was pegged at $245/st ($7.66/unit) FOB, up $17/st from last report.
Eastern Canada: UAN-28 was quoted at $300-$318/mt ($10.71-$11.36/unit) FOB regional terminals in Eastern Canada, with the low end of the range showing a slight reduction from last report.
Pacific Northwest: Effective March 7, Agrium’s posting for UAN-32 FOB Kennewick, Wash., moved to $265/st ($8.28/unit).