US Imports:
Phosphate rock imports were up 5.6% for July-December, to 1.60 million st from 1.52 million st in the prior-year period. Imports moved 24.6% lower in December, however, to 269,270 st from the year-ago 357,152 st.
Tunisia:
State-run Gafsa Phosphates Co. (CPG) expects commercial production of phosphate rock in 2023 to reach 5.6 million mt, up from the average output of 3.5 million mt/y over the past decade, Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported on Feb. 7, citing the producer.
CPG’s objective is to achieve a monthly production volume equivalent to 400,000 mt at its production units of Metlaoui, M’dhilla, Om Laârayes and Redeyef. The company believes this is an achievable goal, providing all units operate at capacity and provided that problems related to transport of the phos rock from the mines to the ore processing units are solved, according to the report.
Last week saw the resumption of activity at the Om Laârayes site after a year of production stoppage due to repeated worker sit-ins, TAP reported. The unit can produce some 600,000 mt/y of phos rock.