U.S. Gulf: The NOLA granular potash market continued to be called $305/st FOB or lower. Sources predicted that a buyer bid of $295-$300/st FOB might find a willing seller.
MOP imports were off 13 percent in June, to 883,471 st from the year-ago 1.01 million st. However, for the fertilizer year, imports were up 14 percent, to 12.2 million st versus the year-ago 10.7 million st.
Eastern Cornbelt: Potash fill remained at $345-$355/st FOB for red and $362/st FOB for white granular tons in the Eastern Cornbelt. Rail-DEL potash fill was quoted at $360-$367/st in the region.
The sulfate of potash (SOP) market was pegged at $740/st FOB Toledo, Ohio.
Western Cornbelt: Sources reported the potash market at $345-$355/st FOB out of warehouses in the Western Cornbelt, depending on grade and location.
Northern Plains: Potash fill tons were pegged at $355-$362/st FOB regional warehouses in the Northern Plains, with the low for red and the upper end for white granular tons. After netbacks, the market FOB Saskatchewan mines was pegged at roughly $305-$315/st for standard, $310-$320/st for granular, and $317-$327/st for soluble to U.S. customers.
Northeast: Potash fill tons remained at $352/st FOB Baltimore for red, with the upper end of the regional range reported at $362/st FOB for white granular and/or soluble potash fill. Rail-delivered potash was pegged at $360-$367/st in the Northeast.
Eastern Canada: Potash was quoted at $510/mt FOB regional warehouses in Eastern Canada for fill tons, down $45/mt from spring pricing levels.
Sulfate of potash (SOP) remained at $925-$946/mt FOB in the region.
The SOP Magnesia market remained steady as well at $675-$700/mt FOB in Eastern Canada.
Northwest Europe: Potassium sulfate prices continue to move up amid tight supply and increasing demand in the region. Prices now are seen in the range of €480-€525/mt FCA. The market for granular potassium chloride remains seasonally quiet, with price levels assessed as remaining at €305-€310/mt bulk CIF Northwest Europe.
Southeast Asia: The market remains largely out of season, with demand at a low level. Consequently, price levels are largely untested.
Prices for standard material remain assessed in the $305-$330/mt CFR range and for granular at $325-$340/mt CFR. Prices for standard potash in the region’s larger markets of Malaysia are seen at as low as $305-$310/mt CFR and in Indonesia at $315-$320/mt CFR.
It would seem doubtful that the higher prices being targeted by both Canpotex and BPC, if not other major suppliers, are currently achievable, particularly given the weakness of many of the region’s national currencies against the U.S. dollar.
BPC recently said it is targeting $335-$350/mt CFR for new potash sales throughout the region. Canpotex earlier this month announced new price levels of this order for its potash sales, setting its prices for standard material at $335/mt CFR and granular at $350/mt CFR for new business in all markets in the Southeast Asian region.