China's sulphur imports dropped 65 percent year-on-year in August to approximately 277,300 tonnes amid maritime disruptions in the Middle East, according to Chinese customs data reported by the South China Morning Post.
The resulting supply squeeze pushed average import prices up by nearly 246 percent compared to August of the previous year, meaning Chinese buyers paid almost 3.5 times more per tonne. In the domestic market, prices climbed past 7,350 yuan per tonne, tightening raw material supplies for chemical refining and agricultural phosphate fertiliser production.
The United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Canada together accounted for 80 percent of China's sulphur imports during August. In contrast, import volumes from other Gulf suppliers—including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman—contracted severely.
Across the first eight months of 2026, China's total sulphur import volume decreased by 60 percent. However, higher prices drove total expenditure on sulphur imports up by 8.4 percent over the same period.
Sources
- South China Morning Post · 2026-09-24
