U.S. urea exports to Canada reached 144,619 tonnes in April, the highest for any month since records began in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data reported by Argus.
The volume was up 99,086 tonnes from a year earlier and ran 94,946 tonnes above the five-year average for April. The surge reflects reduced Canadian domestic production rather than any shift in trade policy.
Several Canadian nitrogen plants cut output over the spring. Nutrien carried out a turnaround at its Carseland plant in Alberta in April, while Yara scheduled maintenance at its Belle Plaine facility in Saskatchewan in late May.
The maintenance left Canadian buyers leaning on US-produced urea during the spring application window, when demand for nitrogen peaks across the Prairies and the northern United States.
