Sulphur rarely makes headlines, but it sits under most of the world’s food supply. It’s the main input for sulphuric acid, and sulphuric acid is how phosphate rock becomes fertilizer. When sulphur gets tight, phosphate producers feel it first, and farmers feel it next.
It’s tight right now. Russia, one of the largest exporters, has barred its own sulphur exports since November 2025 to protect domestic fertilizer production, and has extended the ban to December 31, 2026. The only meaningful opening is a licensed quota of 300,000 tonnes of low-grade technical sulphur, which most phosphate buyers can’t use as a direct substitute. Middle East contract prices have climbed with it.
For buyers, that means supply is shifting. Volumes that used to come from the Black Sea and the Baltic now have to come from the US Gulf, Canada, Kazakhstan and the Middle East. Producers who had quiet capacity are suddenly in demand.
For sellers, it’s a good moment, but also a moment to be careful who you deal with.
Here’s the noise we’re seeing, and how to filter it:
“Russian sulphur, available now.” With the export ban in force, any offer like this has to explain how it legally leaves Russia. If it can’t, walk away.
Offers with no origin documents. Real producers can show where the product was made, how it was inspected and where it loads. Brokers who can’t put you near the source usually aren’t.
Long broker chains. In a tight market, every extra intermediary adds cost and risk. The best deals are the shortest ones: a producer, a buyer, and someone both trust to coordinate.
