News and Articles

• US Gulf FOB urea recovered to 405 dollars per tonne on August 19 from 390 dollars on August 14
• CFR Brazil settled at 437 dollars and Baltic FOB at 381 dollars per tonne by August 19
• Chinese ex works prices slipped to 252 dollars per tonne on softer domestic demand
• RCF India tender for 1.7 million tonnes drew offers from Middle East, Chinese, and Russian holders
• Latin American September buying and firm freight rates supported the mid August recovery

Global urea prices staged a partial recovery in the third week of August 2026 after a soft patch earlier in the month, with international benchmarks lifted by tighter regional supply, seasonal buying, and the ongoing settlement of a large Indian import tender. By August 19, US Gulf FOB values had climbed to 405 dollars per tonne from 390 dollars on August 14, while CFR Brazil rose to 437 dollars from 420 dollars over the same window. Baltic FOB gained around 16 dollars to 381 dollars per tonne and Middle East FOB firmed to 392 dollars.

The rebound came after a mid month dip that pulled several benchmarks close to multi week lows. Traders pointed to a combination of stronger Latin American buying interest for the September planting cycle in Brazil, tighter availability out of North African producers, and continued caution about geopolitical risk in the Persian Gulf. Freight costs at major shipping lanes also stayed elevated, adding to landed values for import dependent buyers.

Request the Latest Urea Prices Data - Access Price Insights Now

Chinese domestic prices moved in the opposite direction. Ex works values in China slipped to 252 dollars per tonne on August 19, down from 261 dollars on August 7, as heavy plant output kept domestic supply well above local demand from agricultural and industrial users. Chinese exporters continued to push volumes into offshore markets, but the export price floor of 660 dollars per tonne FOB set earlier in the year has limited how deeply Chinese cargoes can undercut Middle East and Southeast Asian offers.

The Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers tender in India remained the single most watched procurement event of the month. The Indian buyer sought 1.7 million tonnes for arrival by September 24, split into 1.0 million tonnes for the west coast and 0.7 million tonnes for the east coast. Bid opening on August 11 drew offers from traders holding Middle East, Chinese, and Russian cargoes, and awarded volumes are expected to set the working benchmark for South Asian imports into the fourth quarter.

For procurement teams, the message is one of steady but fragile balance. Buyers in Brazil, Southeast Asia, and East Africa should plan for firmer offers into September as Northern Hemisphere producers rotate cargoes to serve Latin American planting demand. Indian cooperative and state buyers may need to accept marginal price premiums to secure guaranteed shipment dates, with tight vessel positioning at Middle East load ports adding to the pressure. Downstream users in urea formaldehyde, melamine, and industrial nitrogen supply chains should watch the China ex works number, since a further slide could reopen export arbitrage and cap any global rally into October.