OilChem: Middle East tensions lifts Chinese sulfur market premium

Middle East tensions, threatening the Strait of Hormuza, a critical sulfur export artery, reversed a holiday-driven lull: Chinese buyers rushed to restock, lifting sulfur spot prices from Yuan 4,080-4,090/t to as high as Yuan 4,200/t.

On February 28, a joint U.S.-Israeli military strike on Iran intensified geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East. As the region dominates global sulfur exports, threats to shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz have heightened market uncertainty, pushing the risk premium steadily upward and drawing industry-wide focus. Prior to the