India issues 1.7 million tonne urea tender through RCF with bids opening on August 11

India launched a new international urea tender on July 29 through state-owned Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF), seeking 1.7 million tonnes of bulk urea for delivery ahead of the rabi planting season. Technical and commercial bids are set to open on August 11, with suppliers required to keep offers valid until August 24.

The tender splits procurement between 1 million tonnes for India’s west coast and 700,000 tonnes for the east coast. Successful exporters must complete all shipments by September 24. The volume matches India’s previous tender issued by National Fertilizers (NFL) in May, though RCF’s round shifts a larger share toward western ports.

RCF has tightened commercial requirements compared with the earlier round. Suppliers may submit offers under either FOB or CFR terms, but Categories II and III producers must now provide both pricing formats simultaneously or face automatic disqualification.

The tender also introduces strict geopolitical screening. RCF will reject any suppliers, vessels or logistics chains subject to U.S., EU or U.K. sanctions. Cargoes cannot originate from or transit through Ukraine, the Sea of Azov, Russian Black Sea ports or Russian territory within 200 km of the Ukrainian border. Suppliers from countries sharing a land border with India must provide official registration credentials.

Market participants view the August 11 results as one of the most important pricing events for global urea in Q3 2026. India’s previous NFL tender in June drew bids near $449 per tonne CFR, roughly half the peak of nearly $1,000 seen during the April round, reflecting the easing of Hormuz-related supply constraints.

The tender comes as global urea prices have firmed again in July following renewed Middle East tensions and seasonal demand from Northern Hemisphere buyers.

Source: Agrolatam