Fertilizers, Chemicals
May 14, 2025
Platts proposes to update four Americas Sulfur price assessments
Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, proposes to update the methodology and specifications of four Americas Sulfur price assessments, effective July 1.
The amendments would include the introduction of new "close" values for all four assessments, as well as refining and evolving specifications such as quantity, timing, and loading and discharge ports for the assessments to better reflect the sulfur spot market activity dynamics in the Americas region. The existing low and high values would be formulated automatically at an interval of $1/mt above and below the "close" value.
The following changes would be made to the specifications of these Americas weekly Sulfur assessments:
| Current | Proposed | |
| Assessment name | Solid Sulfur CFR Brazil Spot $/mt Wkly (FSSBB04) | Solid Sulfur CFR Brazil Spot (FSSBB04) |
| Quality | Granular sulfur in bulk | Granular sulfur in bulk |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 15,000-40,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Spot sales, CFR. Discharge ports: typically Santos, Paranagua, Aratu and Fortaleza | CFR Santos, São Paulo |
| Timing | Shipment 30 days forward | Delivery four to seven weeks from date of publication |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Appears in | Sulphur Market Report | Sulphur Market Report |
| Unit of assessment | $/mt | $/mt |
| Timestamp | 4:30pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar | 16h30 São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar |
| Current | Proposed | |
| Assessment name | Solid Sulfur FOB California $/mt Wkly (FSSCE04) | Solid Sulfur FOB California (FSSCE04) |
| Quality | Granular sulfur in bulk | Granular sulfur in bulk |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 30,000-50,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Long Beach and Stockton | CFR Long Beach, Los Angeles |
| Timing | Product to be shipped up to 30 days forward | Loading four to six weeks from date of publication |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Appears in | Sulphur Market Report | Sulphur Market Report |
| Unit of assessment | $/mt | $/mt |
| Timestamp | 4:30pm São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar | 16h30 São Paulo, published according to the São Paulo publishing calendar |
| Current | Proposed | |
| Assessment name | Solid Sulfur FOB Vancouver CP $/mt Wkly (FSSVA04) | Solid Sulfur FOB Vancouver CP (FSSVA04) |
| Quality | Granular sulfur in bulk | Granular sulfur in bulk |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 30,000-60,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Loading ports: Vancouver. Based on spot sales on a FOB Vancouver basis or netbacks on CFR sales, competitive offers/firm bids. In the absence of representative FOB Vancouver price information, Platts may also refer to CFR prices in relevant destinations and will use prevailing spot freight rates and origin adjustments to normalize to FOB Vancouver. Contract denotes tonnage loaded as part of a supply agreement but priced on a cargo by cargo basis. | FOB Vancouver, Canada (Contract price) |
| Timing | Product to be shipped up to 30 days forward | Loading three to six weeks from date of publication |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Appears in | Sulphur Market Report | Sulphur 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 | Solid Sulfur FOB Vancouver $/mt Wkly (FSSVB04) | Solid Sulfur FOB Vancouver (FSSVB04) |
| Quality | Granular sulfur in bulk | Granular sulfur in bulk |
| Quantity | minimum 6,000 mt | 30,000-60,000 mt |
| Basis and Location | Loading ports: Vancouver. Based on spot sales on a FOB Vancouver basis or netbacks on CFR sales, competitive offers/firm bids. In the absence of representative FOB Vancouver price information, Platts may also refer to CFR prices in relevant destinations and will use prevailing spot freight rates and origin adjustments to normalize to FOB Vancouver. Contract denotes tonnage loaded as part of a supply agreement but priced on a cargo by cargo basis. | FOB Vancouver, spot |
| Timing | Product to be shipped up to 30 days forward | Loading three to six weeks from date of publication |
| Frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Appears in | Sulphur Market Report | Sulphur Market Report |
| 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 |
For the Solid Sulfur FOB Vancouver CP $/mt Weekly (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.
These assessments are currently published in the Fertecon Sulphur Market Report and are available on Platts Connect.
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.