Get the ChemPriceHub app — track prices on the go. Membership syncs across app & web. View plans
 
Home > News > Morning Market Briefing: Sulfuric Acid

Morning Market Briefing: Sulfuric Acid

Published on 2026-10-20
  1. Market Review

The domestic sulfuric acid market experienced localized adjustments yesterday. Market sentiment in Shandong weakened noticeably, with a significant drop in sulfur prices intensifying downward pressure on sulfur-based acid. On the demand side, autumn fertilizer procurement is winding down while winter stockpiling has not yet begun; low operating rates for monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) mean rigid demand cannot absorb supply. In Hubei, overall supply remained stable, but lack of robust demand support continued to weigh on the fertilizer market, failing to boost sulfuric acid consumption. The tug-of-war between buyers and sellers persists. Major sulfuric acid producers in Jiangxi raised prices by 150–200 CNY/ton today. Currently, the delivered price of 98% smelter acid in Hubei stands at 1,250–1,400 CNY/ton, while the ex-factory price of 98% ore-based acid in Shandong is 1,350–1,400 CNY/ton.

  1. Market Highlights

① Sulfur raw material: Granular sulfur prices at Yangtze River ports stood at 5,800 CNY/ton.
② Operating rates: This period’s capacity utilization for MAP was 41.36%, down 4.56 percentage points from the previous period. For DAP, utilization was 43.33%, up 1.48 percentage points from the previous period.

  1. Price Table

Table 1: Prices of Sulfuric Acid and Upstream/Downstream Products (Unit: CNY/ton)

Product Market Specification Oct 16 Oct 19 Change % Change
Sulfur Yangtze Region Granular 6,275 5,800 -475 -7.56%
Shandong Region Liquid 5,770 4,896.5 -866 -15.08%
Sulfuric Acid Shandong Region Smelter Acid 1,400-1,680 1,400-1,680 0 0%
Shandong Region Sulfur-Based Acid 2,600-2,900 2,600-2,900 0 0%
Jiangsu Region Sulfur-Based Acid 1,700-2,100 1,700-2,100 0 0%
Hubei Region Smelter Acid 1,250-1,400 (Delivered) 1,250-1,400 (Delivered) 0 0%
Yunnan Region Smelter Acid 1,340-1,400 (Delivered) 1,340-1,400 (Delivered) 0 0%
Guangxi Region Smelter Acid 1,400-1,550 (Delivered) 1,400-1,550 (Delivered) 0 0%
Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP) Hubei Region 55% Powder 3,600-3,700 3,600-3,700 0 0%
Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) Hubei Region 64% 4,700-4,850 4,700-4,850 0 0%
Titanium Dioxide Shandong Region Rutile Type 13,600-14,200 13,600-14,200 0 0%
Guangxi Region Anatase Type 12,300-13,000 12,300-13,000 0 0%

Data Source: Chempricehub Information
Notes:

  1. Prices listed represent average mainstream market prices by region, published before 16:30 on working days.

  2. Listed prices are tax-inclusive cash-at-delivery prices.

  3. Data Calendar

Table 2: Domestic Sulfuric Acid Market Data Overview (Unit: CNY/ton)

Indicator Release Time Previous Period Data Current Trend Forecast
Sulfuric Acid Operating Rate Thursday 17:00 PM 61.99% (Sample data updated) ↘
Cost of Sulfur-Based Acid Daily 17:00 PM 1,906.8 ↗
Profit of Sulfur-Based Acid Daily 17:00 PM -56.8 ↘

Data Source: Chempricehub Information
Notes:

  1. ↓↑ indicates significant volatility, highlighting data dimensions with changes exceeding 3%.

  2. ↗↘ indicates narrow-range fluctuations, highlighting data dimensions with changes within 0–3%.

  3. Sample Description

① Sulfuric acid specifications refer to 98% sulfuric acid compliant with national standards.
② Prices for sulfur, phosphate fertilizers, and titanium dioxide are tax-inclusive cash prices. Ex-factory prices apply for sulfuric acid in Shandong and Jiangsu regions, while delivered prices apply for Hubei, Yunnan, and Guangxi regions. All units are in CNY/ton.
③ The two periods referenced are the two preceding working days prior to the current date.
④ Percentage changes reflect week-on-week variations.

Product Market Specification May 16 May 19 Change % Change
Sulfur Yangtze Region Granular 2,560 2,525 -35 -1.37%
Shandong Region Liquid 2,425 2,425 0 0%
Sulfuric Acid Shandong Region Smelter Acid 460-600 460-600 0/0 0%/0%
Shandong Region Sulfur-Based Acid 600-740 610-740 10/0 1.67%/0%
Jiangsu Region Sulfur-Based Acid 570-650 570-650 0/0 0%/0%
Hubei Region Smelter Acid 590-660 (Delivered) 590-660 (Delivered) 0/0 0%/0%
Yunnan Region Smelter Acid 520-550 (Delivered) 520-550 (Delivered) 0/0 0%/0%
Guangxi Region Smelter Acid 630-720 (Delivered) 630-720 (Delivered) 0/0 0%/0%
Monoammonium Phosphate (MAP) Hubei Region 55% Powder 3,380-3,400 3,400-3,450 20/50 0.59%/1.47%
Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) Hubei Region 64% 3,800-3,850 3,800-3,850 0/0 0%/0%
Titanium Dioxide Shandong Region Rutile Type 14,000-14,900 14,000-14,900 0/0 0%/0%
Guangxi Region Anatase Type 12,000-12,800 12,000-12,800 0/0 0%/0%

Comments

0
  • Daniel Foster 2026-10-20 10:02
    Sulfuric acid faces headwinds as falling feedstock costs and weak downstream demand from low MAP capacity utilization squeeze margins. While Jiangxi hikes prices, the seasonal procurement gap in Shandong suggests continu..
No comments yet.