Category: Outlook & Reviews

Titanium dioxide is one of the major chemical uses for sulphuric acid outside of phosphate and metals processing, and sulphate route plants remain concentrated in China.

Ammonia benchmarks on both sides of the Suez were little changed in mid-June with a seemingly balanced supply-demand outlook, although those of a more bullish persuasion continue to support the notion that prices will soon – if they have not done so already – reach a floor. In Algeria, while activity was limited, producer Sorfert was believed to be seeking prices of $410415/t f.o.b. for July delivery, up $10-15/t and equivalent to >$450/t c.fr NW Europe. Imminent tariffs on imports of Russian fertilizers into the EU may trigger an uptick in downstream capacity utilisation across the continent.

• The short term outlook appears balanced for the most part, although more bullish participants seem to be holding sway over market sentiment.

Increased merchant ammonia capacity over the next few years may lead to longer term price declines.

Ju ne saw fertilizer markets – urea markets in particular – thrown into chaos by the widening of hostilities in the Middle East. Israel’s and then the United States’ strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and the retaliatory attacks on Israel and Qatar for a while held out the potential for the conflict to widen, perhaps even leading to attempts to close the straits of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, something not seen since the ‘tanker war’ of the 1980s when Iraq tried to cripple Iran’s oil exports during the eight year Iran-Iraq War.

Price trends and the market outlook, 19th June 2025

In this CRU Insight, Wahome Muya and Willis Thomas of CRU Consulting take a deep dive into the long-term prospects for potassium sulphate (SOP).

What dividends might farming technology deliver in future decades? Three vanguard companies, ICL Growing Solutions, John Deere and BigSis, share their thoughts.

Vatren Jurin of DunhamTrimmer proposes a sophisticated methodology that accurately tracks the global value-added fertilizer market.

In this CRU Insight, Anthony Rizzo explains why market participants should expect an uneven global demand picture in 2026 and highlights regional variations.