Egypt’s NCIC Issues Tender to Sell Various Fertilizers
Egyptian state‑owned fertilizer producer NCIC has launched a second tender to sell a mix of DAP, TSP, SSP, urea, CAN26 and water‑soluble SOP, with loading scheduled for April. The tender, which closes on 20 April, lists FOB prices ranging from $352 to $840 per ton, while the SOP will be sold ex‑works in 25 kg bags. NCIC’s pricing references recent sales that set benchmarks for each product, and buyers must load within 27 days of invoicing. Offers remain valid for two weeks after the tender deadline.
Iran War Drives up African Bitumen Truck Prices
The outbreak of the Iran‑Israel‑US war has sharply lifted bitumen truck prices across sub‑Saharan Africa. In East and Central Africa, ex‑Mombasa rates jumped to KSh165‑175 per kilogram (about $1,159‑$1,313 per tonne), a 40% increase. Nigerian bulk bitumen now trades around...
Japan's Chemicals Sector Likely to Reduce Coal Demand
Japan’s petrochemical industry is expected to trim its thermal‑coal imports as a slowdown in naphtha‑fed cracker output reduces fuel needs. Major producers such as Mitsui Chemicals and Idemitsu have already cut production, while the sector’s annual coal demand of roughly...
Australia to Import 1.6mn Bl Gasoline From Europe
Australia is arranging to import roughly 1.6 million barrels of non‑oxy gasoline from Europe to shore up its dwindling fuel reserves. A price premium of over $34 per barrel in Singapore relative to Europe opened a lucrative arbitrage window, prompting shipments...
Japanese Firms Target Rare Earth Magnet Recycling
Japanese conglomerates Daikin Industries, Shin‑Etsu Chemical, Hitachi and Tokyo Eco Recycle announced a joint venture to recover rare‑earth magnets from commercial air‑conditioner compressors. The partnership will develop automated, AI‑driven disassembly equipment by 2026 and launch full‑scale recycling in 2027, targeting...
Argentina Inflation Eases to 32.6pc in March
Argentina’s inflation eased to 32.6% year‑over‑year in March, down from 33.1% in February, yet it remains far above the government’s 10.1% target. The slowdown follows a historic peak of 292% in April 2024 after a sharp peso devaluation and aggressive...
US Will Not Renew Iran Crude Sanctions Waiver
The U.S. Treasury announced it will let the temporary waiver permitting purchases of seaborne Iranian crude lapse on April 19, ending the short‑term relief granted on March 20. The waiver was originally meant to cushion Gulf oil supplies amid the U.S.–Iran conflict....
Argentina to Start 8 New Lithium Projects by 2030
Argentina plans to commission eight new greenfield lithium projects by 2030, more than doubling its installed production capacity to 409,000 metric tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). The projects, ranging from Rio Tinto's 60,000‑t/yr Rincón to smaller 8,000‑t/yr developments, will...
Oil Demand to Fall at Fastest Pace Since Covid: IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says global oil demand will contract at the fastest rate since the COVID‑19 pandemic, driven by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and a 10.1 mn b/d supply loss in March. The agency projects demand...
Western Australia Buys Gasoil for Strategic Reserve
Western Australia purchased 4 million litres (25,157 barrels) of gasoil from Cambridge Gulf to build a state‑run strategic reserve stored in Wyndham, Kimberley. The initiative creates an independent fuel stockpile separate from the national reserve, addressing supply gaps in remote areas...
Corn Dominates Argentina Export Registrations
Corn accounted for 60% of Argentina's export registrations in the week to April 11, with 1.95 million metric tonnes registered, more than double the same week last year. Total crop registrations rose 20% year‑over‑year to 3.25 million tonnes, driven primarily by corn. Export...
US Fertilizer Market Faces Increasing Scrutiny
U.S. phosphate exports surged in Q1 2024, tightening domestic supplies as global fertilizer trade is disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Prices have climbed to the highest levels since 2022, prompting criticism from President Donald Trump and...
Brazil's Mato Grosso 2025-26 Soy Sales Ahead on Year
Brazil's Mato Grosso state reported that 63.3% of the 2025‑26 soybean crop had been sold by March, outpacing the same period last year but lagging the five‑year average. Soy sales rose 6.7 percentage points from February, while the 2026‑27 soy...
IEA Prepared for Follow-Up Oil Release: Birol
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says it stands ready to coordinate another strategic oil release if market conditions demand, following a record emergency release that grew to 426 million barrels after the Israel‑Iran conflict began. IEA members hold about 1.25 billion barrels...
Pakistan SOP Producers Cut Rates on Sulphur Shortage
Pakistan's Mannheim SOP producers have slashed run rates to 50‑75% from the usual 80‑90% as Iranian sulphur supplies tighten amid the US‑Iran conflict. Imported sulphur prices have surged to $750‑$780 per ton, pushing domestic sulphuric acid costs to $1,077 per...
