Sulfuric‑acid export curbs hit inputs
Reports say China plans to halt sulfuric‑acid exports next month, a move that has already pushed aluminium toward four‑year highs and could squeeze materials used in chip production. (en.sedaily.com) Industry watchers point to second‑order supply‑chain risk—inputs such as bromine and helium used across manufacturing could face pressure even if finished semiconductor market signals seem stable. (en.sedaily.com)
China is moving to stop sulfuric acid exports from May, tightening supply of a basic industrial chemical used in metals, fertilizers and chipmaking. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg reported on April 10 that Chinese producers had received notices about the change and that the curb covers sulfuric acid made as a byproduct of copper and zinc smelting. The same report said the market was already strained after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted sulfur flows from the Middle East, which produces about one-third of the world’s sulfur. (bloomberg.com) Sulfuric acid is not a niche reagent. Encyclopaedia Britannica lists fertilizer production, petroleum refining, chemical processing and metallurgy among its main uses, and the United States Geological Survey said about 90% of sulfur consumed in the United States is used in the form of sulfuric acid. (britannica.com) (usgs.gov) That makes the export curb a supply-chain issue before it becomes a finished-goods issue. The United States Geological Survey said the United States relied on imports for 34% of sulfur consumed in 2025, including sulfuric acid imports led by Canada at 54%, Mexico at 22% and Spain at 7%. (usgs.gov) The chip angle starts with cleaning. Samsung C&T said electronic-grade sulfuric acid is used to clean and etch silicon wafers and to strip photoresist during semiconductor production, while Korea Zinc said on March 18 that sulfuric acid removes impurities from wafer surfaces and that its material exceeds 99.9999% purity. (news.samsungcnt.com) (en.sedaily.com) Korea Zinc said it has annual semiconductor sulfuric acid capacity of 280,000 tons across 19 lines at its Onsan smelter, plans to raise that to 320,000 tons in the second half of 2026, and already supplies more than 60% of domestic demand. The company said about 95% of its output goes to major domestic chipmakers. (en.sedaily.com) The metals market has been flashing stress signals for weeks. Reuters reported on March 30 that benchmark three-month aluminium on the London Metal Exchange rose to $3,492 a metric ton after attacks on Gulf smelters, and Bloomberg reported on April 13 that aluminium settled at $3,607.50 a ton, a four-year high, as buyers scrambled for prompt supply. (usnews.com) (bloomberg.com) South China Morning Post quoted Natixis chief economist Alicia Garcia-Herrero on April 13 saying an outright Chinese ban, rather than a reduction, would drive prices higher and squeeze mining and fertilizer chains already hit by Middle East sulfur disruptions. That is the immediate test for buyers in May: whether they can replace a low-profile chemical fast enough to keep higher-profile production lines running. (scmp.com)
