U.S. Gulf: Most players continued to call NOLA prompt potash barges in the $200-$208/st FOB range. In the meantime, producer quotes were called $208-$215/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt: The potash market was quoted at $245-$265/st FOB in the region, with the upper end reflecting a spate of new postings from producers. Following the mid-month announcement from Mosaic that it was raising its potash prices by $20/st after Dec. 16, Agrium announced that it was also hiking its potash prices across all zones by $20/st, effective Dec. 22. PotashCorp was matching that price increase as well, sources said, with rail-DEL tons quoted at a $5/st premium to the FOB warehouse level.
Western Cornbelt: Potash pricing was up in the Western Cornbelt, fueled by a $20/st pricing hike from the three big Canadian producers. Sources quoted the regional warehouse market at $245-$265/st FOB, with the upper end reflecting the new reference level. One Iowa source pegged the warehouse market in his location at the $255/st FOB level at midweek.
Intrepid is raising its posting for 60 percent granular potash to $265/st FOB Carlsbad, N.M., up $15/st from the previous level.
California: The California potash market had reportedly firmed to $370-$380/st FOB, up some $20/st from last report, but sources said at least one producer raised the price further on Dec. 21 to the $400/st FOB level out of warehouses in the state. Rail-DEL tons were pegged in the $385-$405/st FOB range in California.
Sulfate of potash (SOP) was unchanged at $580-$590/st FOB in the state, with rail-DEL tons quoted at the $595/st level in the Central Valley.
Crystalline potassium nitrate remained at $830/st FOB for bulk tons and $920/st FOB for 50-pound bags.
Pacific Northwest: The regional potash market had reportedly inched up to $345-$365/st DEL in the Pacific Northwest, with warehouse prices reported in roughly the same range.
The sulfate of potash (SOP) market was steady at $560-$570/st FOB in the Pacific Northwest.
SOP Magnesia remained at $302-$322/st FOB regional terminals.
Western Canada: Sources reported laying in some potash tons in December in the $310-$320/mt FOB range out of Saskatchewan mines, but producers were touting winter fill levels in the $330-$340/mt FOB range for new business.
Jordan: Arab Potash Co. (APC) and Sinochem Macau signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Dec. 18 covering the supply of potash from Jordan to China for 2017-2019. The MOU details the annual quantities, which are expected to be about 2.6 million mt in total, APC said.
The deal is a continuation of a three-year potash supply agreement signed in September 2013 between APC and the Sinochem Group that appointed Sinochem Macao as the exclusive channel for all of APC’s potash sales to China for the years 2014 through 2016. The price and firm volumes to be supplied in 2017 will be negotiated as part of the regular annual potash contract.
Belarus: Belaruskali has not commented on its planned maintenance program, which is now expected to take place during the first quarter of 2017. Earlier, the producer had planned 10-14 day maintenance shutdowns at three of its mines in December, January, and February. Belaruskali’s operational capacity is reported at 12.6 million mt/y, or around 1.05 mt/month. It is reported to be fully committed through the end of January.
Belarus intends to export about 10 million mt of potash in 2017, the Belarusian news agency Belta reported on Dec. 21, citing the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Rusy. Rusy said contracts had been signed, and that demand was solid. Belarus expects its potash exports this year to exceed 9 million mt.
Germany: K+S said on Dec. 21 that repairs have been completed following the fire damage at its Hattorf site, and “in technical terms” the facilities are now ready for operation. The company said, however, that the resumption of production after months of short-time working, as originally had been planned, is not possible due to persistent low water levels in the Werra River, which is expected to continue over the coming days.
As a result, short-time working at the Hattorf site is being continued. Epsom salt production at Hattorf, which was not affected by the fire, is continuing as well. The two other Werra plant sites, Wintershall and Unterbreizbach, are also continuing to operate.
India: Domestic sales of potash for direct application for the four-month period through November were around 27 percent higher than in the same year-ago period, increasing to 1.275 million mt from 1 million mt, according to Department of Fertilizer (DOF) data.
Sales were up around 10 percent fertilizer-year-over-fertilizer-year, reflecting healthy retail movement. As previously reported, imports of direct application potash this fertilizer year by the end of November were marginally up from the same year-ago period, at 2.589 million mt compared with 2.572 million mt for April-November 2015, according to DOF data.
Nepal: Agricultural Inputs Co. Ltd. closes a tender on Jan. 2, 2017, for the supply of 7,500 mt of potash in bags for delivery on a CIP Nepal basis (Biratnagar, Birgunj, and Bhairhawa AICL warehouses) within 90 days of l/c opening. Bids are to remain valid for 21 days after tender closing.