Venezuelan urea is coming to the US for the first time in 8 years after the US authorized sanctions waivers on Venezuelan fertilizer on 13 March.
Bulk carrier Centurion Goryo is headed to New Orleans (Nola) from Fertinitro's plant in Anzoategui state in Venezuela, according to traders and vessel tracking firm Kpler. The ship loaded on 19 June and is expected at Nola on 26 June. It is unclear how much urea the vessel is carrying but the ship has a deadweight of approximately 40,000t.
The Iran war prompted the closure of the strait of Hormuz on 2 March, cutting off 35pc of global urea trade and causing the US to seek alternative fertilizer supplies as the planting season approached. But the spring season at Nola has passed, meaning the urea on the Centurion Goryo will likely be used for summer fill to be consumed at a later date.
The US Treasury Department's sanctions enforcement arm, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on 13 March introduced sanction waivers that allowed US buyers to purchase fertilizer and other products from Venezuelan producers.
US president Donald Trump first imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2017, which the administration said were in response to human rights abuses and anti-democratic actions carried out by the Venezuelan government.
Venezuela has three major urea plants with a combined operating capacity of 2.2mn t/yr. US last imported urea from Venezuela in January 2018, according to US Census Bureau data. US imports from Venezuela totaled 42,668 in 2017 but were last consistent in 2011, averaging about 30,000 t/month.
Venezuelan urea has remained a consistent supplier to Brazil, with Argus' consulting arm estimating that exports totaled around 400,000t in 2025.
