Sulfur prices have surged 187% year-over-year, with solid sulfur in East China rising from 2,394 yuan per metric ton in 2025 to 6,871 yuan per metric ton in 2026. This week, the mainstream granular sulfur price at Chinese ports stood at 8,750 yuan per metric ton, down 300 yuan per metric ton from last week—a 3.31% decline. Nationwide port inventories stand at 878,400 metric tons. Although this represents a 5.25% increase from the previous week, it remains more than 63% lower year-over-year and is at a near-decade low. The global supply shortfall is approximately 5.13 million metric tons, with imports far below normal levels. Prices for phosphorus-based flame retardants, such as red phosphorus and ammonium polyphosphate, are prone to rise but not fall due to cost pass-through from sulfur. Coupled with successive price increases for bromine and antimony, the overall cost pressure on the flame retardant industry continues to climb.
2026-08-24
