Australia's urea imports remain on course for a possible record year because of heavy deliveries during the second quarter, despite falling by 63pc in August compared with a year earlier.
Imports fell to 99,000t in August, the lowest quantity since February, according to GTT data. The UAE and Saudi Arabia were the main suppliers with 29,000t each. The August fall followed the 343,000t received in July, a drop of 36pc from a year earlier.
Australia remains on course for a possible record import year with steady rainfall after successive droughts on the east coast driving demand. The slowdown in July and August shipments followed May and June when more than 500,000t were imported each month.
The 2.1mn t of urea imported during January-August is a record amount for this period. Saudi Arabia was the main supplier with 526,000t over the period, up by 29pc, followed by the UAE with 488,000t that was up by almost threefold.
The existing record year of 2016 saw 2.3mn t imported, with 1.8mn t arriving during January-August and suggesting that 2020 total imports will likely set a new record when late season spot sales and contract cargoes are factored into expected arrivals.
Australia's domestic sales highlight the exceptional 2020 demand year, with 1.06mn t in the first half compared with nearer 880,000t last year, according to Fertilizer Australia data.
