Fertilizer producers Mosaic and Nutrien have settled the fourth quarter molten sulphur price with their suppliers at $116/long tonne (lt) delivered.
The new settlement marks an increase of $40/lt from the third quarter price of $76/lt del, and follows the trend of firming sulphur markets during the third quarter amid resilient global fertilizer demand.
Despite an active hurricane season in the US Gulf coast, disruptions to output have remained short-lived. But damage from Hurricane Helene last month has caused significant disruption to fertilizer production in the southeast US, with operations at two Florida-based phosphate fertilizer production facilities hampered.
Mosaic's Riverview, Florida, facility is expected to return to normal capacity during the first half of October following water mitigation and site cleanup. Damage at Nutrien's White Springs, Florida, plant is still being assessed, with no clear timeline of when it will resume normal operations.
Global solid sulphur contracts are beginning to settle for supply delivered during the fourth quarter at corresponding rises, with Middle East contracts rising by $39-43/t from the previous quarter to reach $110-122/t fob for Middle East for tonnes delivered to end users and traders.
Additionally, delivered quantities for the north African market have been discussed in a range of mid-$130s to high $140s/t cfr depending on destination and cargo size for granular product from the FSU and the Middle East, though final confirmations remain outstanding. Crushed lump sulphur is expected to be priced below granular sulphur at the low end of the range.
Some contract supply routes have not as yet been confirmed as having been finalized.
