Why is monoammonium phosphate priced higher than diammonium phosphate in China's export market?

Why is monoammonium phosphate priced higher than diammonium phosphate in China's export market?
MAP and DAP share the same feedstock base — phosphate rock, sulfur and synthetic ammonia — so their price curves usually move together, and together they account for 80-90% of the phosphate fertilizer market. But MAP carries a second identity: it is the key precursor for iron phosphate and lithium iron phosphate batteries. That dual demand base makes MAP pricing more volatile and less correlated with pure fertilizer cycles than DAP. In 2025, domestic 55% powdered MAP averaged 3,366 yuan/mt, up 7.4% year on year, while industrial-grade 73% MAP averaged 6,149 yuan/mt, up 8.4%. The spread between the two grades reflects how much battery-chain demand is pulling on the higher-purity product.