OREANDA-NEWS. March 28, 2008. Ammonia exports from Ukraine will be suspended due to rise in prices for gas, Industrial Policy Minister Volodymyr Novytskyi said.

According to him, Ukraine today is the only country in the world exporting the ammonia simultaneously importing the natural gas, being the raw material for the ammonia production.

"Presently the world price ratio is as such that ammonia export is unprofitable. Today it costs about USD 500/ton. But the trend is as such that gas cost rises faster than the ammonia prices. Therefore, it will be more profitable to process it into carbamide or sulfur", the Minister thinks.

The Ministry forecasts ammonia export from Ukraine may reach 2 million tons in 2008.