INDIA will likely stay dependent on the phosphorite imports after Jordan Phosphate Mines and Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative announced the two sides have signed an agreement to sell 2.6 million tons of phosphorites until the end of March 2022. The new agreement is widely seen as a turning point in relations between both parties. Jordan Phosphate Mines is a phosphate mining company that produces diammonium phosphate and phosphoric acid. Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative is one of the largest phosphorite consumers in the world. Jordan Phosphate Mines exports to India 65% of its total phosphorite exports.
NORTH KOREA, whose economy has deteriorated following a plunge in trade with other countries to prevent the virus from entering the nation, resumed imports of some commodities from China in March, although the nation has still closed its land border with its neighbors amid the spread of the novel coronavirus. The total value of China’s exports to North Korea spiked to $12.98 million in March from about $3,000 in February, topping the $10 million mark for the first time since September. Chemical fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide and related items accounted for around 80% of the total exports. Without imports of fertilizer from Chinese provinces like Liaoning, which borders the neighboring country, North Korea would suffer food shortage in the aftermath of a possible crop shortfall, foreign affairs experts say.
ANGOLA, and more specifically the country’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, has granted a license to the Australian Minbos Resources, allowing the company to extract phosphorites at the Cabinda project. The validity period of the license is 35 years. Within the Cabinda project, it’s planned to launch the extraction and enrichment of phosphorites from the Cacata, Mongo Tando, Chivovo and Chibuete deposits, which are parts of a large basin located in Angola and Congo. Their total reserves amount to 391.3 million tons of phosphorites with an average content of phosphorus pentoxide of 9.2%. Minbos Resources intends to build an open-pit and a processing plant, as well as other necessary infrastructure facilities.
RUSSIAn company PhosAgro announced it increased the production of phosphorus fertilizers and feed phosphates by 2.3% in the 1Q2021 (compared to the same period of 2020) to 1.983 million tons and nitrogen fertilizers by 2.3% to 631.4 thousand tons. The sales of phosphorus fertilizers and feed phosphates in the 1Q2021 remained practically unchanged. The company has also said it is considering the possibility to challenge in the US court the decision of the US International Trade Commission to impose import duties on phosphorus fertilizers produced by PhosAgro. According to PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev, the company still doesn’t supply fertilizers to the US, which are subject to the duties. In March, the US International Trade Commission decided to impose duties on the import of phosphorus fertilizers from Russia and Morocco.
