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Special Report · Market Alert
Sulfur Price Alert
B Mello Ag Services · Central Valley, CA
Published July 20, 2026 • Global Supply Disruption • Sulfur & Sulfate Inputs • Buying Strategy
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♦ SULFUR: ~$890/MT QATAR FOB ♦ CIF ~$1,100–1,200/MT ♦ UP ~300% YEAR-OVER-YEAR ♦ RUSSIA EXPORT BAN THRU DEC 31 ♦ ~47% OF SEABORNE SULFUR TRANSITS HORMUZ ♦ 2026 SUPPLY GAP: ~5.1 MMT
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⚠ Time-Sensitive — Please Read
We expect sulfur prices to move higher within the next two weeks.
Ongoing conflict and export bans have tightened global sulfur supply to crisis levels. If your program will need sulfur for blends or soil applications, pre-paying and taking physical delivery now may protect you from the next leg up. Related amendment prices may follow to some degree. Details and our recommendation are below.
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Section 1
What’s Happening in the Sulfur Market
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The global sulfur market is in the middle of the most acute supply squeeze in a generation. Prices have roughly tripled over the past year and doubled since January as war in the Middle East and a wave of export bans have removed a large share of world supply. As of mid-July 2026 the market is holding near record highs — with most analysts warning the risk is still to the upside.
| Qatar FOB |
| ~$890/mt |
| bulk sulfur · mid-July 2026 |
| ↑ Up ~$85 as Gulf shipments stay disrupted. |
| Delivered (CIF) |
| ~$1,100–1,200 |
| per mt · import markets |
| ↑ Near record. FOB Mideast hit $815–820 highs in late May. |
| Year-over-Year |
| +~300% |
| vs. July 2025 |
| ↑ Doubled since January 2026 alone. |
| 2026 Supply Gap |
| ~5.1 MMT |
| deficit · forecast |
| Largest shortfall of the 2025–27 window. |
| Supply Shock |
Status |
Why It Matters |
| Strait of Hormuz |
Disrupted |
Roughly 47% of the world’s seaborne sulfur — about 40,000–50,000 mt/day — normally moves through Hormuz. Conflict in the Gulf has choked that lane. |
| Russia Export Ban |
Thru Dec 31 |
Russia’s sulfur export ban took effect July 1 and has been extended through year-end, pulling another major supplier off the world market. |
| Kazakhstan |
Suspended |
Kazakhstan suspended sulfur exports indefinitely in late June, removing yet another source just as buyers scramble for tons. |
| China Sulfuric Acid |
Restricted |
China restricted sulfuric acid exports beginning May 1, tightening the broader sulfur-to-fertilizer chain and pushing more demand onto raw sulfur. |
| Qatar Production |
Curtailed |
Qatar suspended output of urea, ammonia and sulfur after damage to key facilities — a direct hit to Gulf supply of both sulfur and nitrogen. |
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Section 2
Why We Expect Another Leg Up
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Several near-term catalysts point to firmer sulfur pricing over the next couple of weeks. None of the supply shocks above have resolved — and seasonal fertilizer demand is building into the fall.
⏰ Near-Term Pressure |
Bans are still in force. Russia’s ban now runs through December 31 and Kazakhstan’s suspension is open-ended. Every week they hold, the deficit deepens.
Shipping risk persists. As long as Gulf tensions continue, freight and insurance costs stay elevated and cargoes stay unpredictable — the World Bank and university analysts both flag upside risk beyond Q3.
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🌾 Demand Is Building |
Fall fertilizer season. Phosphate producers are buying sulfur now to prepare for fall and spring programs, competing directly with industrial users for scarce tons.
Everyone is restocking at once. With inventories thin and some producers already cutting output, concentrated stockpiling is adding fuel to an already tight market.
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Our read: With no near-term fix to the supply side and demand building into the season, we believe the more likely path over the next two weeks is higher, not lower. Related sulfur-bearing amendments (ammonium sulfate, gypsum-blend programs, and custom blends that use elemental or molten sulfur) may firm to some degree as well.
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Section 3
What It Means for Your Ground
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Sulfur is not optional in the Central Valley. On our high-pH, sodium-affected soils, elemental sulfur is a workhorse amendment — it acidifies the root zone, reclaims sodium, and improves water infiltration, and it is a genuine plant nutrient in its own right. Ammonium sulfate does double duty as a nitrogen-plus-sulfur source, and many of our custom blends carry a sulfur component. When the sulfur price moves, a lot of your program moves with it.
| ✓ Soil-acidifying & sodium reclamation: elemental sulfur remains the standard tool for opening up tight, high-pH ground. |
| ✓ Ammonium sulfate (21-0-0 + S): U.S. prices were already firming through 2026 (roughly $380/mt in Q2 vs. the high $340s in March) as sulfur costs climb. |
| ✓ Custom blends: any blend carrying sulfur, gypsum, or a sulfate source is exposed to the same cost pressure. |
| ✓ Slow-release timing: elemental sulfur needs time in the soil to oxidize to plant-available sulfate — buying and applying ahead of need fits how the product actually works. |
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Section 4
Our Recommendation
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If sulfur is in your plan for the coming season — whether elemental for soil correction, ammonium sulfate, or a sulfur-bearing custom blend — now is the time to lock it in. Pre-pay at today’s pricing and, just as important, take physical delivery of the product to your location or a trusted blending yard for future use.
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✓ Do This
| 1. Pre-pay now to secure current pricing before the next move. |
| 2. Take delivery of the physical product — to your ranch, or to your trusted blending yard. |
| 3. Stockpile for future blends and applications so your fall and spring programs are covered. |
| 4. Call Bryan to size the right volume for your crops, soils and schedule. |
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⚠ The Key Caution
Do not simply pre-pay without taking delivery. In a fast-rising, supply-short market, a prepayment that leaves the product sitting upstream is risky — you are exposed to allocation, delays, and re-pricing. The protection comes from having the physical sulfur in your possession at your yard or your trusted blender. If you can pre-pay and take delivery, do it; if you can only do one, taking delivery is what actually secures your supply.
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💡 We’re Working on Alternatives
Pre-buying isn’t the only play. We’re actively developing alternative solutions to remedy sulfur issues at current prices — from adjusted blend strategies and substitute sulfur sources to timing and program changes that stretch your dollars. Every operation is different, so the right answer depends on your crops, soils and schedule. For help solving your sulfur-related issues, contact us — call Bryan at (559) 816-3889 or email bryan@bmelloag.com.
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Ready to Lock In Sulfur?
Let’s build a pre-buy that fits your acres and your schedule — and get the product delivered where you need it. Reach out directly and we’ll move quickly while pricing holds.
Pre-Pay & Secure
Take Delivery
Custom Blends
Soil & Water Analysis
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We watch the world markets so you can stay focused on the ground under your boots. When conditions change, we’ll get word to you fast — that’s the promise behind every B Mello Special Report.
Proudly American · Rooted in the American Dream
Bryan Mello
B Mello Ag Services — Central Valley, California
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B Mello Ag Services · Central Valley, CA
Special Report: Sulfur Price Alert · Published July 20, 2026
(559) 816-3889 · bryan@bmelloag.com
This Special Report is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Commodity and input prices are sourced from publicly available market and industry reports as of the publication date and are subject to rapid change; figures are approximate and forward-looking statements reflect our current market view, not a guarantee. Sulfur is a regulated, combustible material — store and handle in accordance with all applicable safety, fire, and environmental requirements. This publication does not constitute financial, legal, or agronomic advice. Always consult a licensed commodity broker before making marketing decisions and a licensed PCA/CCA before making agronomic decisions. B Mello Ag Services assumes no liability for decisions made based on information in this publication.
Data sources: S&P Global Commodity Insights, Argus Media, Kpler, World Bank Commodity Markets, farmdoc daily (University of Illinois), Trading Economics, SunSirs, ChemAnalyst, and Procurement Resource sulfur / ammonium-sulfate price series (2026), plus industry market reports.
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