Posted on 04/14/2026 4:20:13 AM PDT by EBH
China’s sulphuric acid export ban and Iran war risks are squeezing metals, fertiliser and food supply chains worldwide, testing procurement and logistics China’s ban on sulphuric acid exports from May is set to cascade through global supply chains, tightening the screws on metals producers and fertiliser makers already hit by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The decision turns a once-background industrial chemical into a strategic pinch point for mining, agriculture and food security.
The ban covers sulphuric acid produced as a by-product of copper and zinc smelting in China, the world’s largest exporter of the chemical.
It lands just as Middle Eastern sulphur shipments, a key feedstock for sulphuric acid, are curtailed by disrupted trade flows through Hormuz, and threatens a new crisis for global supply chains.
(Excerpt) Read more at supplychaindigital.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
There’s six drums of it in Epstein Island… hopes that helps!
And this is another example of why outsourcing everything to China was a bad, bad idea.
Wall Street and K Street have colluded against Main Street for the last 30+ years on this. Trump is the only one to work on reversing it. It is why he has so much pushback from both parties.
Sulphuric acid is very easy to synthesize. How did China become the world’s supplier?
If the price of copper goes up substantially we can expect that property crime rates will rise as drug addicts break in to homes and businesses to strip buildings of wire and plumbing.
It seems to be an easy enough product to produce domestically.
[Brave AI search results, followup question]
Sulfuric acid is manufactured globally, primarily where there is high demand for fertilizers, metal processing, and chemical production.
Asia Pacific is the dominant region, led by China (producing 90–95 million tonnes annually) and India (over 20 million tonnes), where it is mainly used for phosphate fertilizer production.
Major industrial producers include Aurubis, one of the largest global suppliers, which manufactures sulfuric acid at its plants in Hamburg, Germany and Pirdop, Bulgaria.
Production often occurs near point of use—such as near phosphate fertilizer plants, metal smelters, and petroleum refineries—to reduce transportation costs, as elemental sulfur is easier to ship than the acid itself.
It is also produced as a by-product at metal smelting facilities, like Glencore’s plants in Canada and Mexico, where sulfur dioxide emissions are captured and converted into acid.
AI
The United States is the second-largest producer of sulfuric acid globally, with an annual production of approximately 37 million tonnes as of recent data.
The U.S. sulfuric acid manufacturing industry is dominated by companies primarily involved in phosphate fertilizer production and large-scale chemical processing. The key players include:
The Mosaic Company: A leading producer, with significant manufacturing capacity tied to its phosphate operations.
Koch Fertilizer: A major player in the fertilizer sector, heavily reliant on sulfuric acid production.
Chemtrade Logistics: A significant producer and supplier, particularly noted in the high-purity acid market.
PVS Chemicals: A dominant company, especially in the high-purity sulfuric acid segment.
Other notable companies in the market include BASF, Solvay, Southern States Chemical, and Valero Energy.
The United States consumes a substantial amount of sulfuric acid annually, with consumption closely tied to the use of sulfur in all forms.
In 2023, the apparent consumption of sulfur in all forms (elemental sulfur and sulfuric acid) was 8.8 million metric tons.
In 2024, this figure was estimated to be 8.2 million metric tons.
There is really no reason that other nations couldn’t produce their own Sulphuric Acid and fertilizer
The absence of environmental regulations does impact the cost of production. Just a guess.
The world markets are full of Sulphur that results from refining sour oil
Everybody and their brother can make sulphuric acid to fill the void.
We sure produce a lot of sulphur in these United States, either from direct mining or removing it from sour crude ...
thanks, annnnnd...
https://search.brave.com/search?q=other+uses+of+sulphuric+acid&summary=1
Beyond its primary role in fertilizer production, sulfuric acid is extensively used as a catalyst and reactant in the chemical industry to manufacture hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, synthetic detergents, pigments, dyes, and explosives.
It serves as a critical component in petroleum refining to remove impurities from gasoline and acts as an alkylation catalyst to produce high-octane isooctane.
If the writer were to drop an ‘o’ and replace it with a ‘p’ his last name would be: Copper!
Back in the day we didn’t need China for Sulfuric Acid, but I guess the Labor Unions also shut that down.
Names can affect outcomes.
Although my dentist was thorough, my dentist’s last name was Hasty.
H2SO4 is widely used in water treatment. Just adding more “ Oh Nos to tye mix..
“Although my dentist was thorough, my dentist’s last name was Hasty.”
The family dentist in Forest Grove, OR in the 60’s was:
Richard Nixon
When we decided to export to China our basic heavy industries (coal, steel, chemicals, rare earths) in order to export pollution, we seem to have also sent them the Strategic Advantage of having those industries with which to blackmail us.
Today, a Chinese bound tanker apparently sailed unmolested past a Trillion Dollar U.S. Navy implementing a “blockade”.
Was China’s investment in heavy industry smarter than our investment in the U.S. Navy?
Apparently so.
Well at least all the U.S. environmentalists can feel good about themselves.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.