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Article: Sulfur Hurt By Excess Supply.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
- Article from:
- Chemical Week
- Article date:
- August 23, 2000
- Author:
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U.S. SULFUR VOLUMES ARE HIGH AND prices are suffering, largely due to a spate of phosphate plant closures among U.S. fertilizer producers. Sulfur is used to generate the sulfuric acid used in the phosphate production process. Analysts say sulfur supply and demand is not likely to be in balance any time soon because of expected increases in supply, and weakening of fertilizer export volumes from the U.S.
U.S. consumption of sulfur from January through May declined 6%, compared to the same period in 1999, to 3.93 million m.t., says the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS; Reston, VA). USGS forecasts world sulfur demand for fertilizer applications, which accounts for 69% of ...