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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Latest nitrogen news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global nitrogen industry.
Saudi Arabia's Sabic loads urea vessel at Yanbu: Update
Saudi Arabia's Sabic loads urea vessel at Yanbu: Update
Adds vessel name Amsterdam, 19 May (Argus) — Saudi Arabian fertilizer producer Sabic has completed the loading of 25,000t of granular urea at the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, marking the first bulk loading of urea on the west coast as shipments out of the Mideast Gulf are still heavily constricted. There was no comment on pricing, but the Courtesy K is understood to be destined for Bangladesh under Sabic's long-term government-to-government contract. Another granular urea cargo is scheduled to load for Bangladesh from Yanbu later this month. The urea was trucked from the production hub of Jubail to Yanbu for loading, meaning that around 1,250 truckloads of 20t each would have had to be delivered to the port for this cargo alone. The move follows the same strategy carried out by fellow Saudi fertilizer producer Maaden, which trucked phosphates from its Ral Al-Khair site to Yanbu for export in March in the wake of the war in the Middle East, which has resulted in the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz since the end of February. Sabic has been producing urea at Jubail and loading vessels since the war began, with Argus tracking at least 15 vessels loaded with Saudi urea in the Gulf yet to navigate the strait. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia secures 90,000t of urea via government scheme
Australia secures 90,000t of urea via government scheme
Sydney, 13 May (Argus) — Australia's federal government has secured 90,000t of urea across three cargoes under its underwriting scheme to support fertilizer imports in response to tight domestic and global supply, it said today. The government is working with fertilizer distributers Incitec Pivot and CSBP to import the 90,000t of urea through Export Finance Australia (EFA), agriculture, fisheries and forestry minister Julie Collins said on 13 May. The timeline for delivery of the cargoes was not disclosed. This is additional to Incitec Pivot's 250,000t of urea from Indonesian state-owned producer Pupuk, scheduled for delivery over May-December. More supply is expected to be announced in the coming days, Collins said. Urea imports fell by 3pc on the year to 572,300t in January-March, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, owing to dry summer conditions and low soil moisture levels. About 454,000t of urea is currently in transit to Australia for delivery through June, data from vessel-tracking platform Kpler show. The deals aim to protect importers from price volatility. Argus last assessed granular urea at A$1,430-1,440/t ($1,029–1,037/t) free carrier (fca) Geelong on 7 May, up by 72pc from levels before the US-Iran war began. ( see graph ) Australian farmers are preparing for top-dressing applications for the winter crop, but prompt supply is tight because of minimal trade through the strait of Hormuz. But Australian suppliers are concerned about the limited competition associated with these underwritten urea cargoes, market sources told Argus . The government said it is streamlining the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to improve supply chain efficiency, as announced in the 12 May Federal Budget . By Susannah Cornford Granular urea fca Geelong A$/t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Bangladesh's BCIC closes multiple tenders to buy urea
Bangladesh's BCIC closes multiple tenders to buy urea
Amsterdam, 12 May (Argus) — Bangladeshi fertilizer importer and supplier BCIC closed three tenders to buy granular urea today, seeking 100,000t in bulk under one and 50,000t of bagged material each in the other two. The lowest offer for bulk granular urea is understood to be from trading firm Aditya Birla, with 25,000t at $795/t cfr Chittagong/Mongla. The offer equates to $775/t fob Oman, according to a document seen by Argus. There were three offers of 50,000t each from other suppliers, spanning $844.90/t to as high as $1,181/t cfr. Meanwhile, the bagged granular urea tenders saw lowest offers of $839.87/t cfr Chittagong and $841/t cfr Mongla. There was no direct confirmation from tender participants by press time and details are subject to change. Previous tenders for bagged material resulted in either no offers or prices above $1,000/t cfr last month. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil's Petrobras halts ops at 2 fertilizer units
Brazil's Petrobras halts ops at 2 fertilizer units
Sao Paulo, 9 May (Argus) — Brazilian state-controlled Petrobras halted fertilizer production at two of its recently-restarted units, the firm told Argus . The Araucaria Nitrogenados (Ansa) unit, in southern Parana state, has been halted since 30 April because of an "incident in the compressor room", Petrobras told Argus . The company said that ammonia sales have continued as usual and the timeframe for the fertilizer resumption "will be disclosed in due course". Ansa's operations had started on the same day after being shut since 2020. Ansa has production capacity of 720,000 metric tonnes (t)/yr of urea, 475,000 t/yr of ammonia, and 450,000 m³/yr of Arla 32, a heavy vehicle emissions-control product also known as AdBlue in Europe and DEF in the US. Operations are also halted at the Fabrica de Fertilizantes Nitrogenados (Fafen) unit, in northeastern Sergipe state, because a lack of power supply that damaged the unit's operational system. The damage will require maintenance and Petrobras expects operations to resume this month. Supplies were uninterrupted thanks to "existing factory inventories", Petrobras said. The company also highlighted that Brazil is in its offseason for urea purchases and that farmers are awaiting developments in the war in the Middle East, meaning domestic demand is reduced. Petrobras did not disclose for how long Fafen has been halted, but said that it was "producing continuously" before the power supply issue. It was operating at 90pc of its maximum capacity in early March, which amounts to 1,800 t/d of urea, Petrobras told Argus at that time. Fafen Sergipe restarted ammonia production on 31 December, marking the resumption of operations, Petrobras' chief executive Magda Chambriard said on social media in early January. The unit can produce up to 650,000 t/yr of urea, 450,000 t/yr of ammonia and 320,000 t/yr of ammonium sulphate. Fafen Bahia Another Fafen unit, in northeastern Bahia state, recently reduced output to enable maintenance in its pumping system, but production has since increased. Petrobras did not disclose the unit's current production rate. Petrobras estimates that the return of Fafen Bahia and Sergipe allowed the company to meet approximately 10pc of Brazil's urea market in the first quarter of 2026. All three units — Fafen Bahia, Fafen Sergipe and Ansa — went through "periods of hibernation", Petrobras said, alluding to the units' long periods of idleness. That led to degradation, the need for investment, and "as expected, required maintenance to improve reliability and operational continuity", Petrobras added. Petrobras halted activities at Ansa in 2020, following previous plans announced in 2017, which consisted of fully exiting non-strategic sectors, including fertilizers. Operations in Fafen Sergipe and Bahia had been idled since March 2024, when both were managed by the Brazilian chemical company Unigel. The decision to resume fertilizer operations is in line with Petrobras' strategic plan and Brazil's government national fertilizer plan, which aims to reduce the country's dependency on imports. Brazil consumed more than 49.1mn t of fertilizer in 2025, of which 88pc was imported, according to national fertilizer distributor's association Anda. By Renata Cardarelli Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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