Russia has temporarily banned the export of technical sulfur until the end of 2025 in an attempt to maintain fertilizer production and avoid a shortage of critical raw materials, UNN reports with reference to the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Details
As reported by intelligence, the ban applies to all main forms – liquid, granulated, and lump. Formally, the decision is explained by "protecting food security," but it indicates deepening problems in the Russian chemical industry.
The Russian Federation is one of the largest producers and exporters of sulfur in the world, but even with this status, production volumes have decreased by 11.2% since the beginning of the year – to 3.17 million tons. The decline was a consequence of the drop in oil and gas processing, from which most technical sulfur is obtained, the intelligence added.
Despite significant reserves and production capacities, the country is forced to import raw materials: in October, about 35 thousand tons were purchased at a price of 390 dollars per ton. This indicates that the domestic market cannot cope with demand, and producers are facing rising costs due to increased domestic prices.
New restrictions could increase pressure on Russian chemists and traders, who will lose part of their foreign exchange earnings. The government expects to stabilize domestic supply, but given current trends, Russian industry risks finding itself in a situation where the shortage of raw materials becomes systemic, and production efficiency becomes even lower.