LaycanDeskUrea freight to New Zealand - Bintulu, Sungai Liang and China to Mount Maunganui, New Plymouth, Napier, Lyttelton and Timaru
Granular urea for the two farmer co-operatives, discharged port by port around both islands on Handysize tonnage with holds certified clean before loading. New Zealand imported 496,000 tonnes of urea in 2025 and took 55 percent of it from Saudi Arabia (UN Comtrade); the Strait of Hormuz has been severely restricted since 28 February 2026, leaving about 23,000 tonnes a month to replace. The desk works the lane on the open load terminal, the multi-port discharge rotation and its berth drafts, and the three biosecurity certificates the ship must carry.
Two farmer co-operatives import almost all of New Zealand's urea. The country's one urea plant, at Kapuni in Taranaki, makes about 260,000 tonnes a year, roughly a third of national use, and has gas secured only to the end of 2026; the rest arrives by sea: 484,900 tonnes in 2024 and 496,000 in 2025, when Saudi Arabia supplied 272,600 tonnes, China 124,700 and Malaysia 90,700 (UN Comtrade). The Saudi tonnes load inside the Strait of Hormuz. In 2026 one co-operative bought urea from Brunei and the other from several regions, and both report that contracted cargoes arrived; the list price passed NZD 1,000 a tonne in April and stood at NZD 1,230 to 1,290 for the spring. The open origins are Bintulu and Sipitang in Malaysia, Sungai Liang in Brunei, Bontang in Indonesia, China when its exports are open, and Oman.
A New Zealand urea cargo is a rotation. The co-operatives discharge at their own stores in Whangarei, Mount Maunganui, New Plymouth, Napier, Lyttelton, Timaru, Dunedin and Bluff, so one ship of 25,000 to 35,000 tonnes calls at two to four ports and the stem lists the quantity for each. The drafts fit a Handysize: Mount Maunganui's wharves allow 9.0 to 12.0 metres on berths of 170 to 223 metres, and Port Taranaki's berths allow 10.3 to 11.9 metres. The condition that stops ships is biosecurity. Bulk fertilizer is admitted under an import health standard that requires a 5 kilogram sample from each hold, drawn and analysed independently before shipment, with nil live insects, seeds or animal material, and every hold inspected and certified clean of previous cargoes, including ledges and hatch covers; three certificates, for sampling, analysis and vessel cleanliness, reach the ministry at least 72 hours before arrival, and a cargo that fails can be stopped mid-discharge, treated or re-shipped at the importer's cost. Owners are therefore asked for the last cargoes and a hold survey at the load port.
Load ports
- Bintulu and Sipitang, Malaysia: 90,700 t to New Zealand in 2025 (UN Comtrade)
- Sungai Liang, Brunei: bought by New Zealand importers in 2026
- China: 124,700 t in 2025 (UN Comtrade), when exports are open
- Bontang, Indonesia; Sur and Sohar, Oman
Discharge ports
- Mount Maunganui: permitted draught 9.0–12.0 m, berths 170–223 m
- New Plymouth (Port Taranaki): berth drafts 10.3–11.9 m
- Napier, Lyttelton, Timaru, Dunedin, Bluff, Whangarei
- Two to four ports a voyage; quantity per port in the stem
Parcels and biosecurity
- Handysize 25,000–35,000 t, multi-port discharge
- New Zealand 2025: 496,000 t imported, 55% from Saudi Arabia (UN Comtrade)
- 5 kg sample per hold; nil live insects, seeds or animal material
- Sampling, analysis and vessel cleanliness certificates 72 hours before arrival
Ships that carry it
The cargo itself, on Commbril
The cargo from the freight side
Questions charterers and owners ask
What does New Zealand biosecurity require of the ship?
Every hold inspected and certified clean of previous cargoes before loading, including ledges and hatch covers, and a 5 kilogram sample from each hold drawn and analysed independently, with nil live insects, seeds or animal material. Three certificates, for sampling, analysis and vessel cleanliness, must reach the ministry at least 72 hours before arrival. A cargo that fails can be stopped mid-discharge, treated or re-shipped at the importer's cost.
How many ports does a cargo discharge at?
Usually two to four. The co-operatives discharge into their own stores at Whangarei, Mount Maunganui, New Plymouth, Napier, Lyttelton, Timaru, Dunedin and Bluff, so the stem lists the rotation and the quantity for each port, and the ship's draft after each part-discharge.
What drafts do the ports allow?
Mount Maunganui's wharves allow 9.0 to 12.0 metres on berths of 170 to 223 metres, and Port Taranaki at New Plymouth 10.3 to 11.9 metres depending on the berth. That is Handysize water. Each port publishes its berth depths after survey, so the figure for the laycan goes in the stem.
What must I send to get a named ship?
Producer and load terminal, quantity and tolerance, the discharge rotation with quantity and berth draft at each port, load and discharge rates with laytime terms, laycan, commission and the charterer's name. Handysize owners opening in Southeast Asia, the Far East or Australasia send name, IMO number, dwt, draft, gear, last three cargoes, open port and dates to desk-a005f1@in.laycandesk.com.