India's suspension of sulphur exports will further reduce availability in the seaborne sulphur market, although the impact is unlikely to be substantial because export activity has already slowed from April.
No official documents have been released on India's sulphur export restrictions, but market participants widely understand that Indian refiners will be unable to export sulphur until further notice.
Discussion of a potential export suspension first emerged in April, when a meeting was convened with major industry players after the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) called on the chemicals and fertilizers ministry to impose a minimum six-month ban on exports of elemental sulphur. The GCCI cited tightening supply, rising prices and the risk of disruption to fertilizer production.
The export suspension is expected to primarily affect private-sector refiner Reliance Industries (RIL), India's main sulphur exporter, with cargoes typically loading from Bedi port on the country's west coast. India exported 356,900t of sulphur in January-April, according to Global Trade Tracker (GTT) data. No cargoes were shipped in May because refiners had already began to prioritise supply to domestic contract customers. Exports were mainly directed to China and Brazil, which received 142,900t and 110,000t, respectively, while the remaining volumes were shipped to Indonesia.
The loss of Indian exports comes on the back of an already severely constrained global sulphur market, owing to the de-facto closure of the strait of Hormuz.
India is heavily reliant on imported sulphur for fertilizer production. The country imported 2.25mn t of sulphur in 2025, with around 84pc sourced from the Middle East. Imports fell by 26pc on the year to 698,200t in January-May due to the outbreak of the US-Iran war.
Concerns are also growing among sulphuric acid exporters that the government could extend export restrictions to sulphuric acid, but no official notice or proposal has been reported.
