bby, page-71

i doubt they will start importing in the immediate future.


BEIJING, Aug 20, 2008 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) --

China's high concentration phosphate fertilizer production declined and the enterprises faced an overstock problem, since the country has imposed a special 100-percent duty on fertilizer export between April 20 and September 30.

According to Feng Shiliang, deputy secretary-general of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association, fertilizer output in the first four months totaled 19.438 million tons, up 6.1 per cent year on year. Fertilizer export was 2.521 million tons, up 132.8 per cent.

The output of high concentration phosphate fertilizer has decreased sharply since May. The output of ammonium phosphate fertilizers in May, June and July fell 8.7 per cent, 9.5 per cent and 9.0 per cent, respectively, from the year earlier.

The sales/production ratio of phosphate fertilizer in June and July was 88.1 per cent and 93.0 per cent, respectively, both down around 10 per cent from the beginning of the year.

The storage of diammonium phosphate fertilizer reached 800,000 tons by the end of July, and that of compound fertilizer hit 1.90 million tons, up around 70 per cent.

Altogether 17 large fertilizer enterprises including Yuntianhua Group and Weng Fu Group have called for tariff adjustment for exported fertilizer.

(XIC)