Kenya's NCPB has extended the closing date of its buy tender for 245,000t of various fertilizers for the 2024-25 season under the country's fertilizer subsidy programme to 19 September.
The closing date had previously been set for 13 September.
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Turkish DAP market constrained by high prices
Turkish DAP market constrained by high prices
London, 21 September (Argus) — Turkish DAP imports have slumped this year as high international prices have eroded farmer affordability, while demand destruction across phosphates is likely to persist. DAP importers have largely remained on the sidelines since March, and arrivals in April-July this year were only 43pc of the average for the same period in the three preceding years, GTT data show. Importers do not expect the seasonal increase in DAP imports over September-October for the vegetable season to happen this year because global DAP prices are likely to remain above the domestic level. Turkish farmers have been reluctant to take on the increase in international levels this year, importers said during the Argus Fertilizer Caspian, Black Sea and Eastern European Markets conference on 17-18 September. The Argus Turkey domestic DAP assessment on a bagged fca basis has remained below replacement costs since the assessment was first published in March, Argus data show. The cfr price has even remained above the dollar equivalent of the bagged fca price since the start of June. Morocco supplied 57.7pc of Turkey's DAP imports in 2023-25. But since March, producer OCP has exported no DAP to Turkey via the port of Jorf Lasfar, Argus data show. DAP export prices have remained unworkable for Turkish importers since the first quarter. Instead of relying on imported DAP, Turkish farmers have turned to domestically produced volumes, mainly from manufacturers Toros or Eti Gubre. Argus Analytics expects Turkey's domestic DAP production to total 517,000t over 2026, broadly stable on the year. This output is likely to reflect the bulk of P2O5 availability in the market. Other farmers have turned to alternatives such as SSP, NPs and NPKs. But most importers and distributors report that total P2O5 application this year will be substantially reduced, and that farmers will skip applications for the vegetables season because of high prices. Turkey imported 397,000 t/yr of DAP over 2023-25, according to GTT data. DAP imports in the first quarter were 13.6pc down on the first-quarter average in 2023-25. The gap widened once global prices rallied when it became clear that the closure of the strait of Hormuz because of the regional war would last beyond March. The Argus DAP Turkey assessment moved from a midpoint of $716/t cfr at the start of the year to $813/t cfr in early March, and has remained above $900/t cfr since the start of June. By Adrien Seewald Turkish DAP imports ('000t) Turkish import Vs domestic DAP prices ($/t) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
German Rhine water levels too low for barges this week
German Rhine water levels too low for barges this week
London, 21 September (Argus) — The Rhine River in Germany will be largely unnavigable for standard barges this week because of continued dry weather, shipowners said. The gauge at the critical bottleneck of Kaub measured 15cm on 21 September and is forecast to fall to around 6cm by 25 September, according to the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration. The lowest ever recorded is 5cm, in August. At these levels standard barges on the Upper Rhine, between Bingen and the Swiss border, will have to stop. Water levels at Duisburg, north of Kaub, are forecast to fall to 136cm this week, and at Cologne they are forecast to drop to 51cm. This will restrict loads to 400-500t for Duisburg and Lower Rhine destinations by the end of the week. Loading standard barges at Cologne will then be impossible, shipowners said. Loading restrictions comes as heating oil demand is rising in Germany, ahead of the colder winter months. Demand has risen nationwide since early September because of low consumer tank stocks, and traders expect further buying interest from early October. Barge freight rates are elevated, but yet to hit the levels seen in August. Shipowners said most Rhine destinations are already unable to receive standard barges without risks that operators will not take. Storage facilities on the Upper Rhine can be supplied only by a few specialised vessels. By Marc Hauschild Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
No quick fix for high US sulfur prices
No quick fix for high US sulfur prices
Houston, 18 September (Argus) — Government efforts to reduce costs for US sulfur consumers would not be as simple as incentivizing rail shipments, while export controls could worsen the conditions that have driven prices to record highs. Florida lawmakers recently expressed concern about high sulfur prices in a letter to the White House after prices hit a record high with the third quarter Tampa settlement at $705/long tonne (lt) delivered. Those prices have led to cutbacks in phosphate fertilizer production. The US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Transportation have floated the possibility of using railroads to better move domestic sulfur supplies, or providing incentives to keep sulfur in the US in an effort to address farmer affordability issues. Many of the refineries on the US Gulf coast — the main source of sulfur production and exports in the US — are not serviced by rail and rely on trucks to deliver sulfur to local customers and terminals. Because of this, such efforts would likely do little to address fundamental logistical limitations of the US sulfur market. US sulfur production in 2025 totaled 7.48mn t, 59pc of which came from the Gulf coast, while consumption reached 7.61mn t, according to the US Geological Survey . Similarly on the west coast, a lack of rail infrastructure encourages sulfur exports, regardless of where prices sit. Exports from both regions, because of domestic logistical limitations, essentially serve to balance the US market. The balance of sulfur that supplies many inland US customers mostly comes from Canada, shipped in molten form by rail. The US in January-July 2026 imported 1.08mn t of sulfur from Canada, more than double the volume from the same period a year earlier, accounting for more than 99pc of total imports so far in 2026. Overall, sulfur imports are up by more than 43pc on the year despite the steady threat of tariffs on Canadian sulfur. Although Canadian sulfur has remained exempt because of its eligibility under the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, the threat of tariffs remains a concern as relations between the US and Canada have deteriorated. Although considered unlikely by most market participants, any duties levied on Canadian sulfur would only raise domestic prices and place further strain on consumers. Global markets driving sulfur costs A severe imbalance in the global sulfur market, driven mostly by demand-induced deficits that began in 2025, has shifted to a substantial supply-driven deficit in 2026 resulting from the ongoing war in the Mideast. At the beginning of the US-Israel with Iran, attacks on vessels severely cut shipments through the strait of Hormuz, impacting around 50pc of globally-traded sulfur. Prices at the US Gulf coast increased from a midpoint of $491/t fob on 26 February to a high of $1,175/t fob on 13 August, supported by war-driven export demand. Export prices in the US Gulf since mid-August have fallen, reaching a midpoint of $1,025/t fob on 17 September. Weaker demand and buyer resistance, mostly from fertilizer and nickel producers, has applied pressure on suppliers and driven prices lower. The war in the Middle East and its impact on supply and freight rates has been the primary driver of the sulfur price rally in 2026. Even if the war were to end imminently, elevated prices would likely linger through at least the end of the year because of damage to production facilities, terminals and infrastructure in the region. But even prior to the war in the Middle East, a global supply deficit tightened markets during the second half of 2025. Surging demand from nickel producers in Indonesia and copper producers in sub-Saharan Africa drove prices to historically elevated levels, despite steady supply. An export ban implemented by Russia beginning in the fourth quarter of 2025 marked the first constraint on supply, squeezing an already undersupplied market. Any suspension of exports from the US would only tighten markets further and is raise global prices, placing more strain on the global economy. Removing the ability for US producers to export would also impact refinery operations because of the lack of storage across US infrastructure. Some estimate that if there were a moratorium on sulfur exports, refineries would have to greatly reduce their operating rates. By Chris Mullins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Avenira to export phosphate rock to China from 2027
Avenira to export phosphate rock to China from 2027
Sydney, 16 September (Argus) — Australian mining company Avenira will export 500,000 t/yr of phosphate rock to China under a four-year offtake agreement with Chinese chemical manufacturer Hebang Biotechnology, the company said today. The agreement will account for more than 80pc of the output from Avenira's 600,000 t/yr Wonarah mine when commercial production begins. Avenira plans to start exporting by 30 June 2027 after output commences in October-December 2026, it said in August. The company has delayed production several times from its original target of first exports by November 2025 , as announced in May 2025. Hebang holds a 49pc stake in Avenira and will act as its exclusive distributor in China. Avenira expects to export 25,000 t/month of phosphate ore via the port of Darwin, around 960km northwest of the mine. The project has an initial 23-month mine life and the company aims to extend production beyond 2028. Avenira plans to supply rock to third-party buyers and to the lithium iron phosphate market. Australian phosphate producer PRL, currently the only producer to export phosphate rock, restarted its acquired 650,000 t/yr Ardmore mine in September 2025 and has since exported 91,300t across three shipments, it said on 28 August. The firm also exports phosphate rock from its 620,000 t/yr Christmas Island operations. By Susannah Cornford Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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