SunSirs: China's Sulfur Imports to Decline in Volume but Rise in Price in 2025

In 2025, tightening global sulfur supply coupled with rebounding domestic demand will drive another significant surge in US dollar-denominated prices. While high costs will curb import volumes, diversified procurement strategies and traders' reluctance to sell will intensify market tensions. Statistics indicate China's total sulfur imports in 2025 reached 9.6084 million tons, down 3.46% from 2024. The average import price stood at $274.02 per ton, a 134.41% increase year-on-year.

Monthly fluctuations in China's sulfur imports during 2025 were pronounced, reflecting complex interactions among international market prices, domestic downstream demand, shipping costs, and policy environments. July imports peaked at 1.0936 million tons, marking the annual high. This peak was primarily driven by a temporary window of low prices in the international sulfur market, coinciding with robust demand from domestic downstream industries like phosphate fertilizers entering their peak production season. Importers seized the opportunity to procure at lower prices. Additionally, a short-term decline in international shipping costs in July further reduced import expenses, collectively propelling imports to their annual high. In contrast, China's sulfur imports in December fell to 422,400 metric tons, a month-on-month decline of 13.32% and the lowest level of the year. This drop was primarily driven by tight global supply pushing up overseas prices, creating an inverted price structure compared to domestic prices and severely dampening importers' purchasing intentions. Simultaneously, the temporary suspension of phosphate fertilizer exports impacted downstream demand, prompting enterprises to prioritize inventory depletion and causing a sharp drop in essential procurement. Furthermore, surging demand from countries like India and Brazil diverted global supplies, further squeezing China's import capacity.

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