Calcium Nitrate prices rose during January 2026 due to a supply crunch, increased shipping costs, and uncertainty regarding tariffs, combined with expectations of the spring planting season. The US market relies mainly on imported calcium nitrate from both Russia and Canada, making US buyers susceptible to shipping issues, caution based on sanctions; tariffs provide inconsistent signals as to how trade relations will reflect in calcium nitrate prices. Costs associated with shipping containers from the Russia/Baltic corridor, as well as the high cost of trucking between Canada and the United States, pushed landed costs higher. Distributors increased transportation costs and added surcharges for each contract. Ultimately, the demand from the downstream agriculture industry continued to be strong, primarily due to demand from specialty crops, greenhouses, and precision corn programs, decreasing existing inventory levels even though the crop prices being returned from the field were mixed. While there were indications of firmness in the nitrate portion of the fertilizer indices, other nutrients showed strength in the markets as well, illustrating the strength of calcium nitrate relative to those segments.
