International ammonium sulfate market

China

The Chinese manufacturer's standard ammonium sulfate price is 113-115 US dollars / ton fob.

Prices may be under pressure in the next two to three weeks due to slowing demand. The operation of the caprolactam plant in China continues to be around 75%, and the limited purchase volume has led to an increase in port inventory.

According to China's three-year action plan to win the Blue Sky Defence War, some caprolactam plants in the north may be forced to close due to pollution control measures. The plan will take effect from October 1 this year to March 15, 2020. The government has not notified the caprolactam producers of the cuts required, but if it is confirmed that the shutdown will tighten supply, the FOB level will be good.

Due to equipment maintenance, Sinopec Baling Petrochemical Company will start operations in 50% in October.

Traders have been shorting the market this week, and the offer to Vietnam from October to November is $125/ton cfr. The freight rate from China is estimated at 6,000 tons and 23 US dollars per ton, and 12,000 tons for ships at 18 dollars per ton.

The extruded granulated ammonium sulphate is currently priced at $140-145/ton fob.

Southeast Asia

Demand in Southeast Asia is sluggish, and traders are trying to sell caprolactam-grade ammonium sulphate to more than $130/ton cfr.

This week, China and South Korea exported ammonium sulfate to Vietnam for a price of 125-127 US dollars / ton cfr. A trader shipped 6,000 tons of Chinese domestic ammonium sulfate at a price of $125/ton cfr from October to November. Another trader sold 6,000 tons of Korean domestic ammonium sulphate at a price of US$127/ton cfr, which will be shipped in October.

This week, 2,000 tons of bagged ammonium sulphate was sold in Vietnam at a price of $125/ton cfr and will be shipped in October.

In the Philippines, a batch of 6,000 tons of Chinese caprolactam-grade ammonium sulfate is quoted at $130-131/ton cfr.

From September 20 to 30, a batch of 22,000 tons of ammonium sulfate will be shipped to the port of Makassar, Indonesia.

South Africa

South Africa has limited demand for ammonium sulphate. ICH imports from China from 30,000 tons to 15,000 tons, which will be shipped at the end of September. The amount of granules and standard grade ammonium sulphate is 9,000 tons and 6,000 tons, respectively.

Brazil

Brazil’s demand for ammonium sulphate is still slow. With sufficient supply, buyers are basically on the sidelines and are pushing for price cuts. China's high-quality extruded granular ammonium sulfate is priced at $167-170/ton cfr, while buyers' offers are as low as $165/ton cfr. Wuzhoufeng's ammonium sulfate is quoted at more than $180/ton cfr.

European suppliers are unlikely to ship granular ammonium sulphate to Brazil in October because buyers have not yet accepted the asking price above $190/ton cfr. Due to higher sales revenues in Europe and North America, the incentive to export to Brazil at a low price is small.

United States

According to market sources, the US Trade Representative (USTR) is expected to decide whether to impose tariffs on nitrogen fertilizer imported from the EU in the next two or three weeks.

The United States is considering tariffs on EU fertilizers: In the dispute with the European Union on subsidies for large civil aircraft, the United States is considering adding nitrogen fertilizer to the list of tariff-enhancing products.

According to reports, Helm's ammonium sulfate pellets for barges are priced at $205/ton fob. A ship carrying 25,000 tons of Lanxess ammonium sulfate will arrive at the end of September.

Ukraine