# Sulphuric acid: Trading

Who buys tanker loads of acid, and at what price

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/trading/

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)](https://www.bcinsight.crugroup.com/)paid research site · CRU Group

Sulphur and sulphuric acid markets, technology and price trends
[CRU thought leadership: sulphuric acid](https://www.crugroup.com/en/communities/thought-leadership/2026/chinas-export-halt-reinforces-bullish-sulphuric-acid-sentiment/)free research site · CRU Group

Free analysis of acid supply, Chinese exports and prices
[S&P Global Commodity Insights news](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/metals/042126-no-quick-sulfuric-acid-fix-for-chilean-copper-sector-analysts)freemium research site · S&P Global (Platts)

CFR Chile and US Gulf acid prices; copper leach impacts
[Hellenic Shipping News](https://hellenicshippingnews.com/sulphur-sulphuric-acid-in-2026-the-feedstock-crisis-cascading-through-copper-nickel-fertilisers)free newsletter · Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Shipping and trade flows for sulphur and acid, with Kpler data
[USGS Sulfur statistics and information](https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/sulfur-statistics-and-information)free research site · US Geological Survey

US sulphur and acid production and trade

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/cycles/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/sulphuric_acid/links/index.md)