Chinese customs data reported on September 24, 2026, revealed that China's sulphur imports decreased by 65 percent year-on-year in August to roughly 277,300 tonnes. The contraction was attributed to maritime disruptions in the Middle East, according to the South China Morning Post.
The resulting supply shortage pushed average import prices up by nearly 246 percent compared to the same period in the prior year, meaning China paid roughly 3.5 times more per tonne. The United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Canada collectively supplied 80 percent of China's sulphur imports during August, while shipments from other Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman experienced severe contractions.
Across the first eight months of 2026, cumulative import volumes declined by 60 percent, whereas total spending on sulphur rose by 8.4 percent. Domestically, sulphur prices increased to over 7,350 yuan per tonne, tightening feedstock availability for chemical refining and agricultural phosphate fertiliser production.
Sources
- South China Morning Post · 2026-09-24
