TCP to import 0.3m tons of urea by mid August

Has already imported 0.25m tons; final tender to be opened on July 27.

ISLAMABAD: The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) is set to complete its urea import operation of 0.3 million metric tons till mid August in order to avert any shortage of urea in the country, a TCP official has said.

According to the official, the TCP has imported 250,000 metric tons of urea so far. “The Corporation will open another tender for import of the remaining 50,000 metric tons urea on July 27 this month, so that the urea import operation can be completed till mid August,” the official said.

TCP is importing urea in pursuance to the directives of the Cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee to meet the supply and demand gap of the fertiliser for this year’s Kharif season.

The TCP had awarded a tender for import of 100,000 tons urea on May 21, 2012, for which the TCP awarded the import contract at $522.86 per metric ton to lowest bidder Gavilon Fertilizer LLC, USA.

The TCP, in response to its tender notice opened on June 25, 2012, has awarded another contract for import of an additional 100,000 metric tons of urea at $ 411.77 per metric ton to lowest bidder Transammonia AG, Switzerland.

For the import of 50,000 metric tons of urea, a third tender was awarded to CHS, who offered to supply urea at $426.39 per ton.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2012.