Enxofre e ácido sulfúrico
Visão geral
O mercado global de enxofre passou por mudanças fundamentais nos padrões de compra, rotas comerciais e preços nos últimos anos. Contratos de preço fixo e indexação baseada em fórmulas tornaram-se as maneiras dominantes pelas quais os suprimentos são comprados e vendidos em todo o mundo, o que torna avaliações precisas de preços e análises detalhadas essenciais para qualquer participante do mercado de enxofre.
A indústria global de ácido sulfúrico viu mudanças estruturais nos últimos anos e novas capacidades continuarão desafiando o equilíbrio nos próximos anos. Enquanto a demanda será impulsionada por fertilizantes — predominantemente o aumento da produção de fosfato e sulfato de amônio — o mercado continuará exposto a choques de fornecimento de curto prazo, especialmente do setor de metais.
A crescente demanda por materiais de bateria, como níquel e cobalto (devido ao crescimento da produção de veículos elétricos), por sua vez, reforçará a demanda por enxofre e ácido sulfúrico, aumentará a concorrência pela oferta e os preços de impacto.
Nossa ampla cobertura de mercado inclui enxofre formado (tanto granulado quanto granulado), enxofre em pedaços triturados, enxofre fundido/líquido e ácido sulfúrico. A Argus tem décadas de experiência abrangendo esses mercados e incorpora nossa experiência de mercado multicommodity em áreas-chave, incluindo fosfatos e metais, para fornecer a narrativa completa do mercado.
A Argus apoia os participantes do mercado com:
- Avaliações de preços (diárias e semanais para enxofre, semanais para ácido sulfúrico), dados proprietários e avaliações de comentários de mercado
- Previsão de curto e médio a longo prazo, modelagem e análise de preços de enxofre e ácido sulfúrico, oferta, demanda, comércio e projetos
- Suporte de projeto de consultoria sob medida
Últimas notícias sobre enxofre e ácido sulfúrico
Navegue pelas últimas notícias do mercado sobre a indústria global de enxofre e ácido sulfúrico.
Sulphur’s rally pre-empts Middle East price spike
Sulphur’s rally pre-empts Middle East price spike
London, 19 March (Argus) — Sulphur's sustained pre-crisis rally has left little impetus for a fresh spike in price in response to the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, unlike other commodities where prices have spiked. Sulphur prices had risen rapidly through 2024 and 2025, exceeding the heights of 2022, as a result of significant growth in demand from the metals sector alongside increased demand for fertilizer production. The Indonesian nickel industry in particular has seen exponential growth in sulphur demand for nickel refining, prompting a 440pc increase in the cfr Indonesia price, from $101/t cfr on 4 July 2024 to $554/t cfr by 29 January 2026, prior to the start of the conflict. Supply constraints in key production hubs in the latter part of 2025, such as the FSU and parts of the Middle East, added further tightness to the market. Prices peaked in January but affordability challenges were already becoming evident, particularly from the non-metals sectors, prompting the start of a correction in global prices in the weeks leading up to the war. The market for sulphur had clearly decoupled from its traditional relationship with sulphuric acid and phosphate fertilizers due to the entry of the battery metal industry, and demand destruction was a factor. By the time the war broke out on 28 February, fertilizer producers and chemical industries, having weathered months of tighter margins as sulphur prices reached unprecedented levels, were already questioning how long these higher costs could be sustained. And although the market was subject to a significant supply shock in the form of the closure of the strait of Hormuz and the subsequent suspension of production at QatarEnergy's Ruwais plant, prices did not immediately react. A sense of caution prevailed in the market over the first two weeks of the conflict with suppliers keen to avoid a surge in global prices for fear of further demand destruction. And with buyers absenting themselves from the market, there was no significant change to prices in the Middle East or related markets over this period. But the weekly fob Middle East price had already risen by $425/t or more than 600pc in the two years to January 2025 when it peaked at $531/t fob. Many larger consumers have stocks in place and are typically quite resilient to supply chain disruptions lasting a few weeks. This is the result of most seaborne sulphur trade being shipped in solid form, with product able to remain in warehouses or even open air storage for some length of time. Buyers and sellers can therefore wait to see if sales concluded prior to the onset of the conflict can be delivered within a reasonable delay, and if buyers are in a position to wait for these shipments without the risk of double-booking. But as a co-product from oil and gas refining, supply cannot be readily increased in times of scarcity. Landlocked sulphur blocks in long-term storage remain in inland locations such as Alberta province in Canada and Turkmenistan, but this cannot easily be accessed as a result of sluggish processing and inland transportation bottlenecks. In answer to the question around substitution, some consumers have looked at replacing sulphur imports with sulphuric acid imports, where the burning process is not required for energy generation. This has supported sulphuric acid prices, but not all buyers are able to switch from one product to another owing to logistical and other constraints. In terms of sulphur itself, some product can be moved from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea ports of Jizan, Yanbu and Rabigh, as well as from Oman's Duqm port that all bypass the closed strait of Hormuz. But even if all vessel owners were prepared to load at Red Sea ports, which they are not, this would still leave in excess of 45pc of global sulphur supply stranded in the Mideast Gulf as long as the strait remains closed. Defying the trend Although global prices have barely moved since the start of the war, there is one market where the price has spiked and which has become a bellwether for this market. Chinese domestic sulphur prices have been increasing steadily over the course of the war to date, reaching record highs of 4,815-4,820 yuan/t ex-works by Wednesday, equating to a rise of more than 20pc in just over two weeks. This market, where small lots trade from river warehouses on a daily basis largely from port stocks of imported product, has always been reactive to global trends. Although not always in strict alignment with global prices, it can provide a good indicator for the health of the market. China relies heavily on the Middle East for its sulphur requirements primarily to feed the domestic phosphate fertilizer industry, taking about half of the 9.6mn t imported in 2025 from the region. Is the market ultimately turning? With no immediate end in sight to the conflict and with little in the way of substitution for buyers requiring prompt material, the market may finally be turning. Some part-cargoes to smaller consumers for prompt delivery and those linked to the metals industry have emerged priced as high as $580-700s/t cfr to the African market for late March-early April loading, with offers no lower than this range for the limited spot tonnes available. But larger fertilizer producers are resisting the latest run-up of prices and are likely to reduce operating rates alongside many smaller fertilizer producers that have already done so, leading to demand destruction on a larger scale. This may create a two-tier market with sales in a wider range to different industries, and will ultimately lead to a price cap on the basis of a lack of operating margin, making fertilizer production uneconomical, and to the potential erosion of prices. This may come prior to the strait fully opening to usual export flows if demand destruction becomes widespread. We are also assuming some sulphur vessels may be able to exit through the strait, with several Chinese-flagged vessels loaded for export assuming a deal can be struck with Iran. Some consumers are reportedly willing to look at booking Middle East volumes despite the lack of clarity on delivery schedules. These factors may smooth out the curve of a spike and crash from the logistical bottlenecks, with the 2022 crash still fresh in the minds of many in the market as profoundly disruptive. By Maria Mosquera China daily cfr Sulphur price v DAP $/t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Kuwait's KPC rolls over March sulphur price
Kuwait's KPC rolls over March sulphur price
London, 9 March (Argus) — Kuwaiti state-owned sulphur producer KPC has rolled over its Kuwait Sulphur Price at $520/t fob Kuwait. This follows announcements from Qatar's state-controlled QatarEnergy and Abu Dhabi state-owned Adnoc that they are also rolling over their March prices. Middle East sulphur exports are largely stranded because of the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, as a result of the US-Israel war with Iran. The strait of Hormuz is the main export route for Mideast Gulf crude oil, gas and sulphur shipments. Vessel traffic through the waterway has almost come to a standstill since the US and Israel began launching air strikes on Iran on 28 February. Tehran has responded by attacking other countries in the region, including targeting oil and gas infrastructure and shipping. A Chinese-owned Handymax bulk carrier safely transited the strait of Hormuz over the weekend, moving east to dock at Fujairah in the UAE, ship-tracking data. It is the second such case in recent days. The 53,395 deadweight tonne KSL Hengyang passed through the strait during the night of 6–7 March, having loaded sulphur in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. It set sail from Jubail on 3 March, idled in the Gulf for more than a day, resumed its voyage on 5 March, and has now moved to anchorage at Fujairah, data from analytics firm Kpler show. Sulphur production falls Sulphur production has fallen as result of the war in the Middle East, causing the previous softening price trend to reverse since last week. KPC has started to reduce its crude output and refinery run rates, after oil exports were effectively halted because of the war, the company said 7 March. KPC has issued a force majeure notice on its crude and refined products exports, it said in a statement on 7 March. Sulphur production is expected to be reduced by at least 2pc. Kuwait exported 2.4mn t of sulphur last year. Qatar has shut down its massive LNG production complex at Ras Laffan after attacks near the facility. QatarEnergy's sulphur production capacity is around 3.8mn t/yr, and it exported 3.4mn t last year. The majority of the firm's sulphur comes from the Ras Laffan complex, with a small share of production at Mesaieed. Iran has launched drone strikes at Saudi Arabia's 102,000 t/yr sulphur capacity Ras Tanura refinery, Kuwait's 146,000 t/yr Mina al-Ahmadi refinery and Bahrain's 210,000 t/yr b/d Sitra refinery. The Ras Tanura facility has been off line since early last week. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Chinese domestic sulphur prices rise on US-Iran war
Chinese domestic sulphur prices rise on US-Iran war
Singapore, 9 March (Argus) — Domestic sulphur prices in China rose further today due to escalations over the weekend between the US, Israel and Iran. Prices reached 4,650 yuan/t ($672/t) ex-works — equivalent to around $577/t cfr on an import parity basis — on the back of several concluded sales today. This reflects a 4pc increase in prices from Yn4,470/t ex-works on 6 March. Further disruptions to sulphur production likely contributed to this increase. Bahrain's Bapco issued a force majeure on its operations after its 405,000 b/d Sitra refinery was hit in an attack linked to the ongoing US-Iran war. The refinery produces 210,000 t/yr of sulphur, according to Argus estimates. By Deon Ngee Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Brazil's sulphur imports up in February
Brazil's sulphur imports up in February
Sao Paulo, 6 March (Argus) — Brazil's sulphur imports rose by 24pc in February, according to the Global Trade Tracker's (GTT) latest data. Imports totaled around 151,020 metric tonnes (t) in the month, above the 121,455t in the same month in the previous year. The US was the main supplier in the month, accounting for 30pc of the total, or almost 45,270t. Kuwait followed with 28pc, or 41,750t. Kazakhstan sent 24pc — around 35,950t — of deliveries. Turkmenistan accounted for 17pc, or approximately 25,965t of the total. Availability is tight in the global market, redefining trade flows and pushing sulphur prices upwards. A sharp increase in sulphur prices drove US fertilizer producer and exporter Mosaic's decision to suspend production of SSP — a phosphate-based fertilizer that uses sulphur as feedstock — in Brazil. Its Fospar, in southern Parana state, and Araxa, in southeastern Minas Gerais state, facilities have been idle since 16 December . Brazil imported 297,775t of sulphur in January-February, a 16pc drop from the same period a year earlier as prices are still considered high by buyers and availability is tight globally. Kazakhstan was the main supplier, accounting for 41pc of the total, or 122,240t. The US was the second largest supplier with 21pc, or 62,544t. Kuwait sent 14pc — or 41,750t — of the total. Deliveries from Turkmenistan were at 9pc of the total, or 25,964t. Sulphuric acid imports down Sulphuric acid imports fell by 29pc to almost 19,710t in February from the same month a year earlier, GTT data show. Belgium was the main supplier in the month, accounting for virtually all imported volumes. Brazil imported 54,445t in January-February, a 33pc drop from the same period a year earlier. That is the lowest level for the period since 2020. Brazil's main supplier was Belgium with 73pc of the total, or 39,587t. Spain followed with 27pc, or around 14,855t, of the total. By Gisele Augusto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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