Fertilizers, Chemicals
May 01, 2025
Platts proposes to update specifications of four Americas Sulfuric Acid price assessments
Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, proposes to update the specifications of four Americas Sulfuric Acid price assessments, effective July 1.
The amendments would refine and evolve specifications such as quantity, timing and discharge ports for the assessments to better reflect the sulfuric acid spot market activity dynamics in the Americas region.
The quantity specification for each of the assessments would be changed from "minimum 6,000 mt" to 10,000-20,000 mt, with price information relating to other volumes normalized where necessary.
The location specification of each of these assessments would be refined or clarified to bring more transparency to the characteristics of each of these price assessments. In addition, the timing specification for each of these assessments would also be refined to better reflect the market dynamics of each location.
The weekly Sulfuric Acid price assessments would be published as a single "close" value with a 4:30 pm São Paulo timestamp, following the São Paulo publishing calendar.
The following changes will be made to the specifications for the Americas weekly Sulfuric Acid assessments:
| Current | Proposed | |
| Assessment name | Sulfuric Acid CFR US Gulf $/mt Wkly (FSAUA04) | Sulfuric Acid CFR US Gulf (FSAUA04) |
| Quality | Sulphur burner acid, smelter acid | Sulfur burner acid, smelter acid |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 10,000 - 20,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Based on spot sales as reported by buyers, sellers, and traders. In the absence of any trade, Platts reserves the right to base the price on competitive offers and/or firm bids. The price may also be based on FOB values ex W Europe plus prevailing freight rates or in line with the CFR Brazil price, allowing for the prevailing freight differential between the two countries. Discharge ports are typically Savannah and Houston. | CFR Houston, Texas |
| Timing | Product to be shipped up to 6 weeks forward | Deliveries from 15 to 40 days from date of publication |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Unit of assessment | $/mt | $/mt |
| Timestamp | 4:30pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar | 4:30 pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar |
| Current | Proposed | |
| Assessment name | Sulfuric Acid CFR Brazil $/mt Wkly (FSABA04) | Sulfuric Acid CFR Brazil (FSABA04) |
| Quality | Sulphur burner acid, smelter acid | Sulphur burner acid, smelter acid |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 10,000-20,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Discharge ports typically Rio Grande, Paranagua, Aratu. | CFR Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul |
| Timing | Product to be shipped up to 6 weeks forward | Deliveries from 15 to 40 days from date of publication |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Appears in | Sulphuric Acid Market Report | Sulfuric Acid Market Report |
| Unit of assessment | $/mt | $/mt |
| Timestamp | 4:30 pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar | 4:30 pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar |
| Current | Proposed | |
| Assessment name | Sulfuric Acid CFR Mejillones (Chile) Spot $/mt Wkly (FSAMC04) | Sulfuric Acid CFR Mejillones (Chile) Spot (FSAMC04) |
| Quality | Sulphur burner acid, smelter acid | Sulfur burner acid, smelter acid |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 10,000-20,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Delivered to Mejillones | CFR Mejillones, Chile |
| Timing | Product to be shipped up to 6 weeks forward | Deliveries from 15 to 40 days from date of publication |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Unit of assessment | $/mt | $/mt |
| Timestamp | 4:30 pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar | 4:30 pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar |
| Current | Proposed | |
| Assessment name | Sulfuric Acid CFR Mejillones (Chile) CP $/mt Yr (FSAMA04) | Sulfuric Acid CFR Mejillones (Chile) Annual CP (FSAMA04) |
| Quality | Sulphur burner acid, smelter acid | Sulfur burner acid, smelter acid |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 10,000-20,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Contract business is negotiated on an annual basis with a price range fixed by various suppliers and buyers to cover all respective shipments over that year. The new price range will only be published from the 1st week of January in the year of the contract when it will replace the price range for the preceding year | CFR Mejillones, Chile (Contract price) |
| Timing | Product to be shipped through the designated calendar year | Contract price for material delivered in the stated year of validity |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Unit of assessment | $/mt | $/mt |
| Timestamp | 4:30 pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar | 4:30 pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar |
These assessments are published in the Fertecon Sulfuric Acid Market Report and are available on Platts Connect.
For the third party Sulfuric Acid CFR Mejillones (Chile) CP $/mt Yr contract price, Platts is particularly seeking feedback on the typical settlement mechanism, and the number of contracting parties deemed necessary by the market for a valid settlement to have occurred.
Please send any feedback, questions and comments on this proposal to fertilizer@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com by May 30, 2025.
For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing. Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available upon request.