NEWS: Global sulphur prices surged nearly four-fold from $280/tonne (July 2025) to $1,050/tonne (July 2026) due to Russia–Ukraine and West Asian conflicts, raising concerns over fertiliser costs and availability in India.

WHY ARE SULPHUR PRICES RISING?

• Around 92% of global sulphur comes as a by-product of petroleum refining and natural gas processing.
• Russia–Ukraine conflict: Disruption of Russian oil and gas processing reduced sulphur exports.
• West Asian conflicts: Disrupted sulphur production and global trade.
• China: Export restrictions on sulphuric acid further tightened supply.
• Result: Geopolitical disruptions → supply shortage → higher sulphur prices.

GLOBAL SULPHUR PRODUCTION

• China: Largest producer — about 19 million tonnes (2025).
• Major producers also include United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Canada.
• India: About 3.7 million tonnes, ranking 8th globally in 2025.
• Global demand: 72.8 million tonnes vs supply of 70.8 million tonnes in 2025 → deficit of about 1.9 million tonnes.

INDIA’S IMPORT DEPENDENCE

• India imported about 2.25 million tonnes of sulphur in 2025.
• Around 90% came from West Asia.
• This makes India vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions in the region.
• Import bill increased from about $248 million (2024) to $638 million (2025).

IMPACT ON FERTILISER INDUSTRY

• Sulphur is essential for producing sulphuric acid, a major input in fertiliser production.
• About 52% of sulphur required by India's fertiliser industry came through imports in 2024–25.
• Higher sulphur prices → higher fertiliser production costs → possible supply constraints → higher input burden on farmers.
• Major affected fertilisers include Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), Single Super Phosphate (SSP) and complex fertilisers.

WHY IS SULPHUR DEMAND INCREASING?

• Rising demand for electric vehicles and batteries increases demand for nickel.
• High-Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) uses sulphuric acid to extract nickel from laterite ores.
• Electric vehicle demand ↑ → nickel processing ↑ → sulphuric acid demand ↑ → sulphur demand ↑.

SULPHUR

• Sulphur (S) is a non-metallic chemical element.
• It is the 13th most abundant element in Earth's crust.
• Pure sulphur is pale-yellow, brittle, odourless and a poor conductor of electricity.
• It is insoluble in water.
• Occurs naturally as a pure element and in sulphide and sulphate minerals.

DISTRIBUTION OF SULPHUR IN INDIA

• Puga Valley — Jammu and Kashmir
• Barren Island — Bay of Bengal
• Andhra Pradesh
• Kerala
• Himachal Pradesh