Tampa: Negotiations between phosphate producers and sulfur suppliers were underway last week for new second-quarter molten sulfur prices delivered to Tampa, but chances were that a settlement will not be reached until around the end of the month. That’s pretty normal.
Sources said sulfur suppliers were seeking an increase of $10-$15/lt above the first quarter level. That position was in line with world sulfur prices, which have risen about that much in recent weeks. However, the phosphate industry was looking for something closer to a rollover from the previous quarter.
Meanwhile, refinery capacity operating rates for the week were up last week, moving from 84.5 percent to 85.7 percent, an increase of 1.2 percent, according to the U.S. DOE.
Vancouver: Sulfur prices in China have risen to $210-$220/mt DEL, an increase of $10-$20/mt during the past couple of weeks. That price difference was being reflected in Vancouver for new spot sales. Negotiations for new contracts were also underway last week, and a source said some key contracts had been settled at $200/mt FOB.
West Coast: Spot prices for prill on the West Coast were tracking Vancouver last week.