Sulphuric acid: Trading
Who buys tanker loads of acid, and at what price
What this tab covers How it is bought and sold: buyers and sellers, price benchmarks and who publishes them, exchanges, contract types, traders, how Indian buyers price it, recent price points, and good sources to follow.Who buys, and where
- Chilean copper miners (Codelco, Antofagasta and others)
- Moroccan, Saudi, Indian and Brazilian fertiliser plants
- Indonesian HPAL nickel plants
- US Gulf chemical plants and refiners
Who sells, and from where
- Smelters in Japan, Korea, China, Peru, Europe and Canada
- Sulphur burners with surplus (some US and Middle East plants)
- Traders with tanker fleets
Price benchmarks
| Benchmark | Publisher | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphuric acid CFR Mejillones, Chile | S&P Global Platts | spot, weekly |
| Sulphuric acid CFR US Gulf | S&P Global Platts | spot, weekly |
| Sulphuric acid price assessments (NW Europe, NE Asia FOB, CFR Brazil, CFR India) | Argus and CRU | spot and contract, weekly |
Exchanges
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| none | no exchange futures | Acid trades on contracts and spot cargoes; Chinese domestic prices are tracked by SunSirs and SMM |
Contract types
- Annual or multi-year offtake from smelters to Chilean miners, often priced with a formula
- Spot tanker cargoes (10-40 kt)
- Toll and regeneration agreements with refiners
Traders and distributors
- Trammo
- Trafigura
- Glencore
- Interacid (Ameropa)
- Mitsubishi and Mitsui trading arms (indicative)
How Indian buyers price it
- Domestic producers set list prices that follow imported sulphur costs; fertiliser complexes value acid internally at sulphur cost plus conversion.
- Imports are priced CFR west and east coast ports; sulphur CFR India rose almost 30% between January and April 2026 and about 49% in Q2 2026 (Argus).
- No anti-dumping duty applies to sulphuric acid in India (none found).
Recent price points
| Date | Price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late Dec 2025 | $175/t | delivered Chile | CRU (2026) |
| 15 Apr 2026 | $380/t | CFR Mejillones, Chile | S&P Global Platts |
| 6 May 2026 | $400/t | CFR US Gulf | S&P Global Platts |
| Mar 2026 | $214/t | China domestic average | CRU (2026) |
Good sources to follow
Sulphur magazine (CRU BCInsight)paid research site · CRU GroupSulphur and sulphuric acid markets, technology and price trends
CRU thought leadership: sulphuric acidfree research site · CRU GroupFree analysis of acid supply, Chinese exports and prices
S&P Global Commodity Insights newsfreemium research site · S&P Global (Platts)CFR Chile and US Gulf acid prices; copper leach impacts
Hellenic Shipping Newsfree newsletter · Hellenic Shipping News WorldwideShipping and trade flows for sulphur and acid, with Kpler data
USGS Sulfur statistics and informationfree research site · US Geological SurveyUS sulphur and acid production and trade