Overview

The global sulphur market has gone through fundamental changes in buying patterns, trade routes and pricing over the past few years. Fixed price contracts and formula-based indexation have become the dominant ways in which supplies are bought and sold around the world, which makes accurate price assessments and detailed analysis key to any sulphur market participants.

The global sulphuric acid industry has seen structural change in recent years and new capacities will continue to challenge the balance in the years to come. While demand will be driven by fertilizers — predominantly the increased production of phosphate and ammonium sulphates — the market will continue to be exposed to short-term supply shocks, especially from the metals sector.

Rising demand for battery materials such as nickel and cobalt (due to growing electric vehicle production) will in turn bolster demand for sulphur and sulphuric acid, increase competition for supply and impact pricing.

Our extensive market coverage includes formed sulphur (both granular and prilled), crushed lump sulphur, molten/liquid sulphur and sulphuric acid. Argus has decades of experience covering these markets, and incorporate our multi-commodity market expertise in key areas including phosphates and metals to provide the full market narrative.

Argus support market participants with:

  • Price assessments (daily and weekly for sulphur, weekly for sulphuric acid), proprietary data and market commentary assessments
  • Short and medium to long-term forecasting, modelling and analysis of sulphur and sulphuric acid prices, supply, demand, trade and projects
  • Bespoke consulting project support

Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news

Browse the latest market moving news on the global sulphur and sulphuric acid industry.

Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news
03/02/25

Tariffs to raise US domestic sulphur prices

Tariffs to raise US domestic sulphur prices

London, 3 February (Argus) — US sulphur consumers face higher prices as a result of President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on commodity imports from Canada and Mexico, which — along with the prospect of counter-measures — could disrupt North American sulphur trade in multiple ways. Trump issued an executive order on 1 February to impose 25pc tariffs on imports from Canada, reduced to 10pc for energy imports, and 25pc on all Mexico-sourced commodities, with the measures to come into effect on 4 February . The tariffs on energy imports from Canada and Mexico could raise sulphur prices for US consumers in two ways — directly, by increasing the price of Canadian sulphur imported to the US, and indirectly, by increasing the price of sour crude imports for US refineries, which is likely to lead to reduced flows resulting in lower domestic sulphur production and higher prices. Canadian sulphur is imported to the US for fertilizer production and industrial use, and tariffs would lead to a rise in delivered pricing of Canadian sulphur as a raw material for US fertilizer producers, with the likely knock-on impact of higher finished fertilizer prices. The US imported 850,000t of Canadian sulphur in January-November, with the majority being molten sulphur shipped by rail to the east coast, Midwest or Rocky Mountains regions. Canadian sulphur accounted for more 93pc of US sulphur imports during this period, up from 89pc from the same period in 2023. This high level of dependency is likely to mean that importers will have to accept higher prices in the near term while searching for alternative sources. Trade flow impact For their part, Canadian sulphur suppliers have some limited flexibility to increase their solid sulphur exports through Vancouver port to markets such as China, and limit liquid sulphur rail shipments to the US if tariffs make such shipments uneconomical. But a significant switch in the near term is unrealistic. Solid sulphur exports loaded at Vancouver port rose by 245,000t in 2024, bringing overall exports up by 7pc to 3.35mn t . The top destination for Canadian prilled sulphur from Vancouver last year was China, at 1.54mn t. Exports of solid sulphur through Vancouver have risen as a result of increased remelting and prilling of blocked sulphur this year from Alberta's roughly 12mn t of sulphur blocks built over time. This is expected to accelerate in 2025 as the new prilling capacity becomes more stable following earlier technical problems. But a lack of prilling capacity, the cost of additional processing, as well as limits on rail and port warehousing and loading capacity, will cap the potential to increase solid exports in the short term. Tightening availability and increasingly challenging affordability of Canadian sulphur could in turn push large US consumer Mosaic to import more solid sulphur from the Middle East for remelting in Tampa for fertilizer production. Smaller consumers, particularly in the northeast US, would likely be faced with the tariff impact. But the US may have more of its own sulphur available if Mexico responds to the US measures with counter-tariffs that disrupt the flow of US sulphur south. The US exported 376,000t of sulphur to Mexico in the first 11 months of 2024. Sulphur produced in the Gulf coast could be shipped by rail to the regions where Canadian sulphur is typically consumed, assuming infrastructure and railcar availability. But the increased freight cost could offset any potential savings relative to the 25pc tariff. In addition to rising sulphur costs, US fertilizer producers also face increased costs for imports of Canadian ammonia. These raw material price increases would be likely to be passed on to farmers, and with Canada also a large supplier of potash to the US fertilizer market, US farmers could bear the brunt of inflation driven by tariffs. Crude spillover Tariffs on crude trade between the US, Canada and Mexico will also impact the sulphur market. Canada and Mexico both export sour crude to the US, but the tariffs are likely to result in supplies from those countries being redirected to other markets. This could tighten the supply of sour crude to US refineries, reducing domestic sulphur production and pushing up prices. Mexico's state-owned oil company Pemex has more flexibility to divert its seaborne flows on economic grounds than Canadian heavy crude producers, whose output is primarily transported by pipeline to US refiners . By Maria Mosquera and Chris Mullins US sulphur imports* Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news

Kuwait's KPC raises February sulphur price


03/02/25
Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news
03/02/25

Kuwait's KPC raises February sulphur price

London, 3 February (Argus) — Kuwait's state-owned sulphur producer KPC has set its February Kuwait Sulphur Price (KSP) at $170/t fob Kuwait. This is up by $2/t from January's KSP of $168/t fob. The February KSP implies a delivered price to China of $190-197/t at current freight rates, which were last assessed on 30 January at $20-23/t to south China and $25-27/t to Chinese river ports for a 30,000-35,000t shipment. The announced monthly KSP fob price has risen by $101/t over the past year, from $69/t fob Kuwait in February 2024. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news

Nutrient affordability remains weak into 2025


13/01/25
Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news
13/01/25

Nutrient affordability remains weak into 2025

London, 13 January (Argus) — Global fertilizer affordability is still weak into 2025 as high fertilizer prices — mainly for urea — continue to weigh on farmer affordability. Nutrient affordability fell to 0.94 points in the first week of January, unable to recover from a declining trend that started in October 2024. An affordability index — comprised of a fertilizer and a crop index — above one indicates that fertilizers are more affordable, compared with the base year, which was set in 2004. An index below one indicates lower nutrient affordability. The fertilizer index — ⁠which includes global prices for urea, DAP and potash, adjusted by global usage — ⁠reached the highest value since October, driven by firmer urea prices, which weighs heavily on the fertilizer index owing to the relatively higher global usage when compared with DAP and potash fertilizers. Prices for urea climbed to levels last seen in late 2023, with activity ramping up across the globe. Prices appear well supported through the month with India entering the market over the weekend, seeking 1.5mn t of urea for loading by early March. A slight increase in the crop index owing to a rise in the first week of January for corn and soybeans was unable to offset higher fertilizer prices as the new year started. Crop prices for corn and soybeans, which represent 52pc of global consumption for key crops, also rose into early January following lower production estimates made by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the upcoming crop campaign in the US. The USDA revised earlier estimates made for the 2024-25 corn and soybeans crop by 1.8pc and 2pc, respectively. By Lili Minton and Harry Minihan Global fertilizer affordability Index Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news

Abu Dhabi's Adnoc raises January sulphur price by $9/t


03/01/25
Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news
03/01/25

Abu Dhabi's Adnoc raises January sulphur price by $9/t

London, 3 January (Argus) — Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc set its January official sulphur selling price (OSP) for the Indian subcontinent at $174/t fob Ruwais, up by $9/t from its December OSP of $165/t fob. Adnoc's January OSP implies a delivered price of $191-193/t cfr India, with the freight cost for a 40,000-45,000t shipment to the east coast of India having last been assessed at $17-19/t on 19 December. The announced OSP fob price has risen by $97/t in the space of a year, from $77/t fob Ruwais in January last year. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news

EU sulphur shortage persists, limiting sul acid output


02/01/25
Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news
02/01/25

EU sulphur shortage persists, limiting sul acid output

London, 2 January (Argus) — Liquid sulphur in Northwest Europe is expected to remain short in 2025, with production limited by lower output from refineries, and demand outstripping supply. Sulphur supply curbed In the past two years sulphur output from European refineries has dropped as a result of poor refining margins and competition from imports from new mega-refineries out of region. Additionally, sanctions on Russian crude oil imports to European refineries have turned the crude slate in the region sweeter. In 2024 refinery maintenance and unexpected outages resulted in lower production of molten sulphur. These were overdue following healthy refining margins in 2023 leading refineries to run at high rates and postponing maintenance, as well as earlier pandemic restrictions also limiting maintenance. Further European refining capacity is at risk in 2025, as Petroineos' Grangemouth refinery in Scotland is expected to be converted to an import terminal, while in Germany, Shell will cease crude processing at its 80,000 t/yr Wesseling refinery. Additionally, BP has indicated plans to permanently shut down a crude unit and a middle distillate desulphurisation unit at its 210,000 t/yr Gelsenkirchen plant. Refineries could still delay some of these closures, provided that refining margins were supportive of this. Sulphur consumption is higher though risks remain Sulphur consumers were running at low rates in Europe over 2023 due to low demand and poor economics as well as high energy prices. By 2024 sulphur demand lifted, and many consumers were unable to source the larger quantity of sulphur. The shortfall of molten sulphur bolstered quarterly contract prices during 2024; in the first quarter prices stood at $103.5-119.5/t cfr, rising 49pc on a mid-point basis to reach $158.5-174.5/t cfr in the fourth quarter. Contract negotiations for the first quarter of 2025 started against a backdrop of a short market and firmer global prices weighed against competitiveness of the region's chemical industry, with consumers seeking a rollover or a smaller increase of $10-15/t cfr against suppliers pushing for a larger $25-30/t rise. In 2025 liquid sulphur is expected to continue to be short in the region, with regular liquid imports. Discussions for an additional sulphur tanker are also expected to lead to more imported product entering the region by the second half of 2025. Yara's sulphur remelter in Finland is expected to start in April 2025, but will have limited impact on the industrial cluster in the Benelux and German regions. Additionally, at least one new commercial sulphur burner is expected in Germany for a 2027 start to operations, with the Mitsui subsidiary Aglobis announcing preliminary agreements with port and logistics operators in Germany's Duisburg area. Sulphuric acid implications The shortage in liquid sulphur has resulted in a new reality sulphuric acid in Northwest Europe, resulting in a wider differential between sulphur-burnt and smelter-based acid, of up to €80/t, on the quarterly contracts. The acid contracts for the first quarter of 2025 are not fully settled, the sulphur burnt contract was heard at a further increase of €15 added to the sulphur Benelux settlement, while an increase of around €10/t was heard for smelter-based acid. Some sulphur-burners have been forced to shut down in the Benelux region, mainly due lack of liquid sulphur. Additionally, there is the risk that some end used may be pushed out of the market due to the increased cost of sourcing sulphur burnt acid. And while some demand may continue to shift to smelter-based acid, not all sulphur burners or downstream industries can easily replace liquid sulphur as a feedstock due to purity or economic implications. By Jasmine Antunes, Maria Mosquera and Lili Minton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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