I. Potash Market: Tight Supply and Rising Prices Amid Strategic Standoff; Pre-Spring Ploughing Stockpiling Underway, Tight Circulation Becoming the Norm Recently, China’s domestic potash market has exhibited an unusual pattern of shrinking volumes alongside rising prices. Despite persistent market rumors suggesting policy coordination through long-term contract allocations and direct-supply releases, actual circulating volumes remain tight. Against this backdrop of reduced av

I. Forms and Availability of Phosphorus in Soil Soil phosphorus can be categorized into two major classes based on its chemical properties:  organic phosphorus  and  inorganic phosphorus . The vast majority exists in forms not readily available to plants, such as insoluble inorganic phosphates bound to iron, aluminum, and calcium, or as organic phosphorus compounds (e.g., phytates, phospholipids). Plants primarily absorb  orthophosphate ions (H₂PO₄⁻ or HPO₄²⁻)  from the soil

I. Russia: Port Expansion to Boost Mineral Fertilizer Exports by 8–12% Following the completion of the expansion at Russia’s Ust-Luga Port Favor terminal, the country’s export capacity for mineral fertilizers is expected to increase by 8–12%. The terminal is open to all fertilizer producers and offers a key advantage in handling efficiency compared with non-specialized ports. At present, Russia still lacks sufficient dedicated port infrastructure for mineral fertilizers. The

I. Executive Summary Entering late January 2026, the global fertilizer market is operating within a structural framework characterized by “high cost support + tight supply–demand balance.” In the Chinese market , phosphate fertilizers remain stable at elevated levels under the dual influence of supply-guarantee and price-stabilization policies together with persistently high raw-material costs. Potash prices are trending steadily upward, supported by low inventories and incre

In 2025, China’s fertilizer imports and exports showed a clear pattern of strong growth in export volumes and values, alongside a slight decline in imports. Urea exports recorded particularly sharp growth, while phosphate fertilizer exports continued to contract. Domestic policy priorities focused on securing internal supply had a profound impact on the global phosphate fertilizer market structure. Looking ahead to 2026, the global phosphate fertilizer supply outlook is broad

Recently, the international fertilizer market has shown clear characteristics of concentrated demand release supported by government subsidy policies. Countries including India, Indonesia, and Nepal have actively advanced fertilizer tenders and procurement programs, while Pakistan recorded record-high fertilizer sales. Against this backdrop, China’s potash market concluded 2025 at elevated but stable levels, and entered 2026 with continued firmness. Potassium chloride prices

By late December, China’s fertilizer market has exhibited clear structural characteristics. On the raw material side, sulfur shows a pattern of domestic price pullback alongside high-level volatility in imported material, while phosphate rock, sulfuric acid, and synthetic ammonia remain broadly stable. The phosphate fertilizer market continues to implement policy-driven supply assurance and price stabilization, with prices remaining steady despite rising cost pressure. The po

From January to November 2025, China’s fertilizer imports and exports showed a clear pattern of rising export volumes and prices alongside a slight decline in imports. Toward year-end (mid-December), the market centered on three main themes: policy-driven price stability and supply assurance for phosphate fertilizers, supply–demand tug-of-war in the potash market, and policy regulation of upstream raw materials. Phosphate rock, sulfur, and sulfuric acid exhibited divergent tr

In agricultural production, phosphate fertilizers are essential to crop growth and development. What many may not realize is that the starting point of most common phosphate fertilizers is often a pale yellow, brittle crystal or powder — sulfur . With a global annual output of approximately 70 million tons , around 80% of sulfur supply comes as a byproduct of petroleum refining and natural gas processing , making it deeply intertwined with the global energy landscape. Sulfur

China’s Annual Contract Anchors Global Pricing While Supply–Demand Dynamics Shape the Market In November 2025, China finalized its 2026 annual potash import contract—an event that quickly became the central anchor for global potash pricing. The agreement not only halted the price slide in several emerging markets but also ignited China’s winter fertilizer stocking season. At the same time, rising sulfur and sulfuric acid prices pushed production costs sharply higher, placing

By the end of November 2025, China’s fertilizer market displayed clear structural characteristics: While the potash sector benefited from the newly signed annual import contract that set a cost floor, downstream demand remained weak, limiting actual transactions and keeping the market in a state of fragile stability. Conversely, upstream raw materials such as phosphate rock, sulfur, and sulfuric acid showed structural upward trends driven by tight supply or cost-push effects.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, the global fertilizer industry is marked by distinct trends of “strategic upgrading, rising demand, and active trade.” The United States has, for the first time, included phosphate rock and potash in its Critical Minerals List, underscoring the national-security importance of fertilizer resources. Nutrien, the world’s largest fertilizer producer, forecasts continued growth in global potash demand in 2026, prompting adjustments in industry planni

In November 2025, China’s fertilizer market exhibited a clear trend driven by raw materials. Supported by increasingly tight supply, the potash fertilizer market continued its upward movement, forming a “high in the north, low in the south” price pattern. Meanwhile, sharp increases in the prices of sulfur, sulfuric acid, and other raw materials pushed phosphate compound fertilizer production costs sharply higher, triggering an upward adjustment in industry guideline prices. H

I. Potash Fertilizer Market: Intensified Supply–Demand Game and Noticeable Regional/Product Divergence (1) Potassium Chloride Market: Mixed Trends and Narrowing Regional Price Gaps China’s potassium chloride market has shown a complex, fluctuating pattern with clear regional divergence in prices.Imported potassium chloride inventories are characterized by a “more in the north, less in the south” distribution. Local circulation is loose in some areas, but the overall supply–de

This week, China and overseas fertilizer markets continued the pattern of “cost support vs. weakening demand,” driven by the interplay of...

I. China’s Fertilizer Import & Export Data (Jan–Aug 2025) (1) Export Data: Key Product Breakdown Total Volume and Core Product Data...

In recent days, China’s fertilizer market has shown a clear pattern of “raw material divergence with cost support, and uneven fertilizer...

I. International Fertilizer Market Dynamics (1) Core Tender Events: Driving Global Price Trends India Concludes Urea Tender (September 2)...

I. Ammonium Sulfate Market: Stable Both Internationally and Domestically Overall Trend: The international ammonium sulfate market...

Global fertilizer market update: India is frequently tendering, Bangladesh has ensured fertilizer supply through government-to-government...