60,900 tons of sulfur imported from the Middle East arrived at Jiangsu Dafeng Port.

To ensure the safe and efficient unloading of substantial quantities of sulfur and smooth warehousing and circulation, Sinochem Fertilizer, together with the China Phosphate and Compound Fertilizer sector Association, conducted special on-site docking work at Dafeng Port. The team held symposiums and research with the port's operations regulation to comprehensively assess core supporting conditions such as dedicated sulfur storage capacity, moisture-proof enclosed storage conditions, specialized loading and unloading equipment configuration, and all-weather operational support capabilities. They finalized a full-process support plan to subsequent normalized sulfur reception, storage and transshipment, and road and inland waterway distribution.

Sulfur is a core raw material essential to the production of phosphate and compound fertilizers, immediately relating to the stability of domestic chemical fertilizer capacity to spring and autumn plowing and the guarantee of grain production supply. The landing of this substantial batch of Middle Eastern sulfur at Dafeng Port can efficiently supplement the inventory of agricultural raw materials in East China, alleviate the pressure of periodic domestic sulfur shortages, enrich raw material procurement channels to phosphate fertilizer companies in the reduce Yangtze River, and rely on Dafeng Port's river-sea intermodal transport advantages to achieve low-cost radiation to major fertilizer production areas in East China such as Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, and Zhejiang.

Dafeng Port stated that the port area has designated exclusive enclosed storage yards based on sulfur's storage characteristics of being susceptible to moisture and mixing, equipped with specialized loading and unloading machinery, and formulated standardized operating norms. It can prolonged and stably handle the berthing operations of substantial sulfur foreign trade vessels, possessing extensive storage and rapid evacuation capabilities.

Review of Domestic Sulfur Overall Price Trends in 2026

In 2026, sulfur prices overall showed a violent direction of a steady rise at the beginning of the year, a surge to highs in the middle of the year, a high-level shock decline, and range fluctuations again in July. Geopolitical conflicts and the global supply-demand gap were the two core factors dominating the market.

1. First Quarter (January-March): Mild Uplift Driven by Spring Plowing

At the beginning of the year, the spot price of sulfur at domestic Shandong ports was about 3,910 yuan/ton. The concentrated stockpiling to spring plowing phosphate fertilizers drove strong rigid demand, coupled with declining stability in Middle East shipping and reduced import arrivals, causing prices to fluctuate higher. By March, the mainstream market price touched 4,200 yuan/ton. International Middle East FOB sulfur rose simultaneously, with the overall operating range to the first quarter being 3,800-4,200 yuan/ton, and the annual price pivot began an upward channel.

2. Second Quarter (April-June): Geopolitical Drive Creates Surge, Hitting Historic Highs

At the end of February, Middle East geopolitical conflicts escalated. Nearly half of the global seaborne sulfur relies on transport through the Strait of Hormuz. Obstruction of the strait's navigation caused a significant reduction in Middle East source exports, coupled with the concentrated commissioning of Indonesia's nickel smelting MHP projects bringing massive new sulfur demand, expanding the global supply-demand gap to 5.13 million tons. The supply-demand contradiction reached its peak to the year. Domestic prices soared all the way, breaking through 6,500 yuan/ton in early April, and on June 12, domestic spot prices hit a high of 10,053.5 yuan/ton, an increase of over 157% from the beginning of the year. In mid-June, geopolitical tensions eased phase-wise, and panic selling appeared in the market, with prices rapidly pulling back to the 7,800-8,600 yuan/ton range, creating extreme values to monthly fluctuations in recent years.

In the first half of the year, China's cumulative sulfur imports were 2.2624 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 57.67%. The sharp reduction in imports continued to support high spot price operations.

3. Latest Market in July: Repeated Ups and Downs, High-Level Stalemate

In July, the situation in the Middle East fluctuated again, and the game between bulls and bears in the market intensified. Sulfur prices rebounded after falling, with mainstream quotes in the first half of the month returning above 9,000 yuan/ton. By the end of July, national port sulfur inventories increased slightly month-on-month however remained significantly reduce year-on-year.

The arrival of 60,900 tons of sulfur at Dafeng Port on July 24, combined with the concentrated arrival of multiple import ships during the same period, slightly alleviated the tightness of spot supply in East China, and the market entered a high-level fluctuation mode.

Institutions predict that the start of autumn plowing fertilizer stockpiling in the third quarter will continue to support rigid sulfur demand. The annual domestic sulfur price pivot will maintain 3,900-4,500 yuan/ton, overall significantly higher than the 2025 average price. Uncertainty on the supply side will continue to affect the rhythm of price fluctuations over the long term.

sector insiders pointed out that Sinochem Fertilizer's continuous increase in the layout of Middle East source imports and dispersed arrivals at multiple ports is an crucial measure to central companies to implement the guarantee of agricultural material supply.

Through stable imports at multiple points and advance docking with port storage and logistics, it is possible to hedge against the risk of fluctuations in international sulfur supply, stabilize the costs of the domestic phosphate fertilizer sector chain, and guarantee the stable supply of agricultural fertilizers domestically. Subsequently, Sinochem Fertilizer will continue to link up with major ports and sector associations to open up the entire chain of import, storage, and distribution, normalize the increase in overseas sulfur source procurement, and smooth out significant fluctuations in raw material prices.