Reading Time: < 1 minute Frankfurt | Reuters — German mineral miner K+S will cut production of potash fertilizers, dragging core earnings lower, as a halt imposed by China on potash imports dampens global markets. “In the current weak market environment, which is further intensified by the continuing Chinese import bans on the standard potassium chloride product, adjusting production is […] Read more
K+S cuts output on weak potash demand
Nutrien to idle three Saskatchewan potash mines
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canadian fertilizer giant Nutrien plans to shut down three of its Saskatchewan potash mines for up to two months in the fourth quarter of the year. The Saskatoon company said Wednesday it “expects to proactively take up to eight-week inventory shutdowns” at its mines at Allan, Lanigan and Vanscoy, Sask. during that period. If all […] Read more
CP books higher Q4 grain revenue on reduced handle
Reading Time: 2 minutes Increased revenue from grain handling — albeit on a slightly lower overall grain handle — helped Canadian Pacific Railway improve its fourth-quarter and year-end gross for 2018. Calgary-based CP on Jan. 23 reported overall net income of $545 million on $2.006 billion in revenues for its fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, down from $984 million […] Read more
Chinese firm buys stake in miner SQM from Nutrien
Reading Time: 2 minutes Santiago | Reuters — China’s Tianqi Lithium Corp. has bought a 23.77 per cent share in Chilean miner SQM from Canadian fertilizer giant Nutrien, the Chilean stock exchange said on Monday, for a total sale price of US$4.066 billion. The sale to Tianqi comes as Chinese companies increasingly scour the globe for the raw materials […] Read more
Fertilizer prices to rise on global production shifts
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian fertilizer prices are expected to increase as spring draws nearer, according to industry professionals. “The further you buy out from spring, the prices tend to be a little bit lower. In making your commitments early, prices tend to edge up as you get closer to spring,” said Don Kitson of International […] Read more
Fertilizer maker Nutrien’s profit beats on strong potash demand
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters – Canadian fertilizer and farm supplies dealer Nutrien Ltd reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit and raised its full-year adjusted profit forecast, driven by strong demand for its potash fertilizers. The world’s largest fertilizer company by capacity raised its full-year adjusted profit forecast to the range of $2.60-$2.80 per share, from its prior estimate of […] Read more
Grain handle down slightly in record quarter for CP
Reading Time: < 1 minute Grain carloads were marginally fewer but grain revenue per carload climbed 10 per cent to help Canadian Pacific Railway to its highest quarterly revenue ever. Calgary-based CP on Oct. 18 booked net income of $622 million on $1.898 billion in revenues — its “highest ever (revenues) for any quarter” — in its third quarter ending […] Read more
Global fertilizer market prices vary
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — A mixed bag for fertilizer prices is expected over the next few months, as some continue to increase while others should drop, according to an analyst. “The fertilizer market has remained pretty firm over the past six months… we had kind of anticipated some declines across all the different nutrients, (but) they’ve […] Read more
Nutrien steers potash recovery as BHP waits in wings
Reading Time: 3 minutes Winnipeg/London | Reuters — Canada’s Nutrien, the world’s biggest potash miner by capacity, has helped engineer a surprising price rebound for the fertilizer by idling capacity. Now the trick will be keeping prices from appreciating too much to ensure a major would-be competitor, BHP Billiton, stays on the sidelines. BHP has been weighing an entry […] Read more
CP talks said stagnating as strike deadline looms
Reading Time: 2 minutes Montreal/Vancouver | Reuters –– Canada’s biggest rail union said no progress had been made in negotiations on Friday with Canadian Pacific Railway to reach a deal before a Saturday deadline as worries about a potential strike weighed on the country’s crude oil prices. If the two sides fail to reach a deal, a strike is […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
