Nitrogen
Overview
The ease of urea availability east and west of Suez has shaped the current trade flows of this key nitrogen fertilizer. Despite challenges posed by energy prices and military conflicts, key import markets such as India, Australia, and Latin America remain robust. But structural oversupply and the role of China as a swing exporter have led to price volatility as this fast-moving market seeks equilibrium, more so during seasonally high-demand periods.
Our extensive nitrogen coverage includes prilled and granular urea, UAN, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulphate. Argus has many decades of experience covering the nitrogen market and incorporates our multi-commodity market expertise in key areas including ammonia and natural gas to provide the full market narrative.
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More Egyptian urea production offline: Update
More Egyptian urea production offline: Update
Adds Abu Qir's plant closure Amsterdam, 16 July (Argus) — Egyptian fertilizer firms Kima and Helwan stopped granular urea production today, citing gas shortages, while Abu Qir has halted prilled urea output. Kima's 570,000 t/yr and Helwan's 650,000 t/yr granular urea plants are both offline, having operated at 80pc of capacity since 2 July. Abu Qir's 578,000 t/yr prilled urea plant has also gone off line. It is unclear when the plants will restart, the producers said. Kima's plant is in Aswan and Helwan's is in El-Tebbin-Helwan, while Abu Qir's facility is outside of the port of the same name. Most of the country's remaining urea plants are still operating at 80pc. Mopco is running only two of its three granular urea plants at 80pc, while EFC's production status has yet to be confirmed. A gas supply crunch in Egypt has hampered urea production since 20 May, as the country prioritised gas deliveries to power plants to meet summer cooling demand. But LNG imports eased the balance at the beginning of July. Egypt fixed at least 17 LNG cargoes in a 25 June tender — seven for July, six for August and four for September. The country is seeking to bolster LNG import capacity as gas production falls and domestic demand rises. Urea export offers have yet to emerge as all producers are assessing the market and the majority are likely to initially focus on delivering previously committed volumes for export and to meet local demand. But Argus understands that some traders were offered Egyptian granular urea at $380-390/t fob for loading in late July and early August. No deal has emerged yet. By Dana Hjeij and Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Egypt’s Kima and Helwan stop urea production
Egypt’s Kima and Helwan stop urea production
Amsterdam, 16 July (Argus) — Egyptian fertilizer producers Kima and Helwan stopped urea production today, citing gas cutbacks. Kima's 570,000 t/yr and Helwan's 650,000 t/yr granular urea plants have both gone off line, having operated at 80pc of their respective capacities since 2 July. It is unclear when the plants will return to operation, Egyptian producers said. Kima's plant is located in Aswan, and Helwan's in El-Tebbin-Helwan. Most of the country's remaining urea plants are still operating at 80pc. Mopco is running only two of its three granular urea plants at 80pc of full capacity, while EFC's production status has yet to be confirmed. A gas supply crunch in Egypt has hampered urea production since 20 May, as the country prioritised gas to power plants to meet summer cooling demand. But LNG imports eased the gas market balance at the beginning of July. Egypt fixed at least 17 LNG cargoes in a 25 June tender — seven for July, six for August and four for September. The country is seeking to bolster LNG import capacity as gas production falls and domestic demand rises. Urea export offers have yet to emerge as all producers are assessing the market and the majority are likely to initially focus on delivering previously committed volumes for export and to meet local demand. But Argus has heard that some traders were offered Egyptian granular urea at $380-390/t fob for loading in late July and early August. No deal has yet emerged. By Dana Hjeij Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Pakistan urea demand drops on lower wheat prices: NFDC
Pakistan urea demand drops on lower wheat prices: NFDC
Amsterdam, 15 July (Argus) — Urea consumption in Pakistan fell to 483,000t in June, down by 21pc on a year earlier, with the country's National Fertilizer Development Centre (NFDC) attributing the drop to lower wheat prices and delayed sowing in the summer months. June output fell to 483,000t from 610,000t in the month last year and 737,000t in June 2022. Urea consumption in April-June was down by 18pc at 1.21mn t. The NFDC attributed the fall to lower wheat prices and the delayed sowing of crops in the summer Kharif season, which runs from April-September. But the NFDC did note that urea offtake may pick up in the rest of the season. The dire situation facing farmers has prompted Pakistan's government to impose an indefinite ban on wheat imports into the country, as of 12 July , in a bid to stabilise domestic wheat prices. This may subsequently encourage local urea purchases. The lacklustre consumption so far this Kharif season has eased pressure on urea supplies, with countrywide stocks unexpectedly climbing slightly through one of the peak-demand months of the summer season, up by 6,000t to 231,000t. Domestic production of 497,000t also added some support to inventories last month, but this was down from 548,000t in June last year. Pakistan's state-owned importer TCP has issued a tender to buy 150,000t of urea, closing on 29 July, which will add further support in August-September when cargoes are set to arrive. But the country is still facing a potential tightness of urea supply in July-August, should consumption levels pick-up soon and the import cargoes ship from origins with a long sailing time. The NFDC is projecting consumption of 750,000t and 615,000t in July and August, respectively, which may leave stocks as low as 29,000t by August, without factoring in imports. The cargoes must arrive in Pakistan by 25 September, TCP's tender document stipulated. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
India's IPL issues urea counterbids: Update
India's IPL issues urea counterbids: Update
Adds latest on counterbid recipients Amsterdam, 12 July (Argus) — Indian fertilizer importer and supplier IPL has sent counterbids to all suppliers at $365/t cfr east coast under its 8 July tender. IPL has secured 80,000t for the west coast under two previous bid rounds at $350.50/t cfr. This latest counterbid validity is until 11:00 IST (05:30 GMT) on 13 July. The importer initially sent counterbids to the suppliers with the seven-lowest priced offers to the east coast earlier today, for a potential total of 480,000t, but has now sent the counters to all potential suppliers under the tender. This round of counters for the east coast follows two rounds for the west earlier in the week. The first round was on 10 July and received no acceptances, while the second was on 11 July and resulted in a trading firm agreeing to supply just a further 30,000t at $350.50/t cfr west coast. The east coast counters may tempt more acceptances given the $15/t premium over the west coast price. Trading firm Liven offered the lowest for 50,000t at $350.50/t cfr west coast, while the lowest offer on the east coast was 100,000t from OQ Trading at $365/t cfr east coast. The lowest offers to both coasts will be confirmed sales in line with tender rules. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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