Ammonium sulphate: Production
How output grew from 19.5 Mt to nearly 33 Mt
What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.| Measure | Figure | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| World capacity | China about 25 Mt a year of export-oriented capacity (Argus, 2026); world capacity not published | Argus (2026) | |
| World output | about 32.9 Mt (2024), up from 19.5 Mt in 2009 | Statista (2024) | |
| Capacity utilisation | follows caprolactam plants: Chinese caprolactam ran at about 80% in 2026 | Producers cut AS output when caprolactam margins are poor, not when AS prices fall. | Argus (2026) |
| Concentration | top-5 companies about 16.3% of global revenue (2025) | Fragmented by company because supply comes from many caprolactam, coke and FGD plants. By country, China is dominant in trade. | Global Market Insights (2025) |
| New capacity | growth follows Chinese caprolactam additions | CRU reports rising Chinese output and record exports; small green projects such as Namibia's Daures green ammonia and AS project raised up to $3.6 million in development funding (CRU BCInsight, 2026). | CRU BCInsight (Jan and Mar 2026 teasers) |
Top producing countries
- China: largest producer and exporter; exports about 21.4 Mt (2025)
- United States: AdvanSix (Hopewell) and others; AS is a major US ammonia derivative
- Europe (Germany, Belgium, Spain, Poland): BASF, Fertiberia, caprolactam and coke producers
- Japan and South Korea: caprolactam and coke by-product producers; South Korea exported 26 kt to India in 2023
- India: FACT, GSFC and steel-plant coke ovens; output not verified
Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdvanSix caprolactam by-product, Hopewell | US | not published | 2025 | Global Market Insights (2025) |
| Nutrien | Canada | not published | 2025 | Global Market Insights (2025) |
| BASF caprolactam by-product, Ludwigshafen and Antwerp (indicative) | Germany | not published | 2025 | Global Market Insights (2025) |
| Luxi Chemical Group | China | not published | 2025 | Global Market Insights (2025) |
| Fertiberia | Spain | not published | 2025 | Global Market Insights (2025) |
| Sinopec and China Shenma Group caprolactam-linked | China | not published | 2025 | named by HNY Research via DRI (2026) |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) long-standing AS producer at Udyogamandal (indicative) | India | not published | 2025 | not verified |
| Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC) caprolactam by-product AS at Vadodara (indicative) | India | not published | 2025 | not verified |
| Integrated steel plants (coke-oven AS) SAIL, Tata Steel and others recover AS from coke-oven gas (indicative) | India | not published | 2025 | not verified |
India imported 545 kt of AS in 2024 ($80.3 million, UN Comtrade), up from about 339 kt in 2023, when 86% came from China (IndexBox). Domestic output from FACT, GSFC and coke ovens was not verified. AS is one of the grades under the Nutrient Based Subsidy. India's real sulphur fertiliser demand is met more by SSP, APS and bentonite sulphur than by straight AS.
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Domestic caprolactam by-product supply (AdvanSix); AS imports duty free (USGS 2026 tariff table). |
| EU | Record 1.53 Mt of imports in 2025, 94% from China, brought forward ahead of CBAM in 2026 (S&P Global). |
| India | Small importer (339 kt in 2023), mostly from China. |
| China | Dominant exporter: about 21.4 Mt in 2025, driven by caprolactam expansion. |
| Japan | By-product producer and exporter (indicative). |
| Middle East | Saudi Arabia is about 35% of the Middle East and Africa market by value (GMI, 2025). |