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Ammonium sulfate (AS) is a solid, crystalline salt produced as an elective,
primary product from the direct reaction of ammonia and sulfuric acid. It is
also recovered, in very substantial amounts, as a by-product of organic monomer
synthesis (particularly caprolactam), during the stripping of sulfur values
from stack gases at coke ovens, at some metallurgical operations and at coal-fired
gasification and/or electrical generation plants. Much of the world production
of ammonium sulfate is involuntary by-product or coproduct material; thus the
market is affected more by the level of industrial activity than by demand.
In general, the industrialized regions account for most of the world's ammonium
sulfate capacity, with Western Europe, the former USSR and the United States
having the largest capacity shares. These three regions accounted for 43% of
world capacity and 51% of world production in 2002. World capacity declined
steadily between 1988 and 1993, with much of the loss occurring in the former
USSR and Europe. The major reasons for this decline include the economic chaos
in Eastern Europe and the worldwide economic recession of the early 1990s. Capacity
has recovered partially since 1993 and peaked in 2002 at 5 million metric tons
(N basis). A slight decline is indicated in the forecast period. Production
and consumption have exhibited a similar pattern. Although production and consumption
declined, international trade in ammonium sulfate continued to grow. Production,
consumption and trade volumes are projected to remain at about present levels.
On average, about 43% of all ammonium sulfate has been exported from the country
of production in recent years. This share represents a substantial increase
from about 31% in 1987, and it is expected to increase to about 45% during the
forecast period. The major regions of destination include Southeast Asia, Central
and South America, and Western Europe (much of which is intraregional trade).
These three regions combined accounted for 63% of world ammonium sulfate imports
in 2002. Western Europe, the former USSR, the United States, Japan and Eastern
Europe are the largest exporters of ammonium sulfate, and accounted for about
84% of world exports in 2002.
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