Summary: CAC Nantong announced permanent suspension of 15,000 t/a glyphosate TC production line which had stopped operating since 2017, and the intention of expanding its capacities of glyphosate formulations supported by outsourcing TC.

In late July, CAC Nantong Chemical Co., Ltd (CAC Nantong) announced permanent suspension of the 15,000 t/a glyphosate TC production line based in Rudong Coastal Economic Development Zone of Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, which had stopped operating since 2017, and the equipment would be either relocated to other operations or disposed. Meanwhile, it would continue advancing its glyphosate formulation business based on outsourcing TC product. In addition to this location, CAC Nantong once had one scale TC plant (Suzhou Jiahui Chemical Co., Ltd.) located in Xiangcheng Economic Development Zone of Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, which was later transferred into one producing pesticide formulation only.

In recent years, China's glyphosate landscape has seen significant changes under the influence of multidimensional factors—substandard and backward TC capacities were phased out and some players left voluntarily, leaving only around 10 businesses operating in China, such as two CAC Nantong's main glyphosate TC suppliers Sichuan Leshan Fuhua Tongda Agro-chemical Technology Co., Ltd. and Anhui Guangxin Agrochemical Co., Ltd.

Leading China's pesticide industry, CAC Nantong boasts strong pesticide capacities and is intended to expand its glyphosate formulation production. On 12 May, the company obtained the investment record certificate for the project of crop protection formulations for agricultural land and formulations for non-agricultural land, designated in Rudong Coastal Economic Development Zone of Nantong City, Jiangsu Province. That means, once the project completes construction, this location has production and processing capacities of 49,500 t/a pesticide formulations in total, including the followings:

• 50 t/a 55% glyphosate ammonium SP
• 200 t/a 50% glyphosate potassium salt SL
• 500 t/a 36% glyphosate·glufosinate-ammonium SL
• 500 t/a 62% glyphosate-isopropylammonium SL
• 800 t/a 32% glyphosate·2,4-D SL
• 1,000 t/a 47% MCPA-glyphosate SL
• 2,500 t/a 41% glyphosate-isopropylammonium AS
• 5,000 t/a 33% glyphosate ammonium SL
• 12,000 t/a 74.70% glyphosate ammonium SG

 

On the other hand, CAC Nantong's strengthening its glyphosate formulation production may firm up its place against the competitors in the end markets. Currently, more key players featuring strong TC production capacity are planning expansion of high value-added formulation products, along with some companies shifting their focuses on the formulation markets during business transformation, aiming to benefit from such globally top-selling herbicide as glyphosate amidst the already intensive TC sector and the increasingly competitive end markets of formulation.

 

The glyphosate formulation segments are booming, among which growing attention has been given to the compound of glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium. As of early July 2022, there are 56 registered products of glyphosate·glufosinate-ammonium in China, one of which is the 36% glyphosate·glufosinate-ammonium SL registered by CAC Nantong in Nov. 2019. According to the company, its 500 t/a 36% glyphosate·glufosinate-ammonium SL line is available for internal production as well as other cooperative companies with corresponding pesticide registrations.