China to halt export of sulfuric acid as world faces fertilizer shortage

About 45% of sulfur exports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and China is one of the world’s largest exporters of sulfuric acid. China exported around $349 million worth of sulfuric acid in 2024, over $100 million more than any other country, according to global trade data analysis from the Observatory of Economic Complexity. The combination of volatility around the Strait of Hormuz and China’s export halt does not bode well for fertilizer prices nor for the world’s biggest sulfuric acid importers, which includes the United States. All eight major fertilizers have seen a price increase over the past month,…