Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy Order No. 1363, dated 26 June, fully suspended sulfur exports from 27 June 2026 until further notice, covering liquid, granular, and lump sulfur, with an exception for shipments to Russian railway stations. Shanghai Metals Market's flash is at https://news.metal.com/newscontent/103978838-smm-flash-kazakhstan-follows-russia-in-full-suspension-of-sulfur-exports.
The order came one day after Russia's ban extension to 31 December 2026. Dual CIS restrictions further reduced seaborne alternatives for phosphate producers already short Middle East cargoes. Kazakhstan had relied on Russian Baltic and Black Sea gateways for roughly 0.3 million tonnes a month of sulfur exports before Roszheldor halted that transit on 26 May.
Tengizchevroil and other Kazakh sour-oil operations are recovered-sulfur origins, not Frasch mines. An export suspension leaves those tonnes inside Kazakhstan or on the narrow Russia-rail exception. It does not stop Claus units. It stops the cargo list that Morocco, Brazil, and China had used as a non-Gulf option.
USGS MCS 2026 had listed Kazakhstan at 6 percent of US recovered elemental sulfur imports for 2021-24, tied with Iraq. That US share is small next to Canada's 53 percent. The global seaborne share is larger. CRU's 2024-25 commentary had treated Kazakh tonnes as a regular Atlantic and Mediterranean option when Russian ports were open.
Roszheldor's 26 May order had already closed the main logistics path even where third-country transit had been nominally allowed under Russia's own export ban. Order No. 1363 is the producing-country counterpart: Kazakhstan stopping the export sale, not only Russia stopping the rail.
Alberta recovered sulfur still leaves mainly through the Vancouver stem. A Kazakh suspension is another reason Canadian and US Gulf solids hold swing status. It is also a reason Tampa molten stays elevated. Argus open news on 13 July put Q3 Tampa at $705 per long ton delivered (https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2851577-tampa-3q-liquid-sulphur-price-hits-record-705-lt).
OCP's Q2 cuts of up to 50 percent and Mosaic's US and Brazil curtailments were already on the file from sulfur shortage. Removing Kazakh seaborne tonnes in late June is a further tightening of the origins those plants can tender. The Russia-rail exception does not put granular sulfur on a vessel for Jorf or Santos.
BC Insight's May 22 dependence table put southern Africa at 93 percent Middle East sulfur in 2025. CIS tonnes were one of the few non-Gulf alternatives for that region. A dual Russia-Kazakhstan close leaves Vancouver, US Gulf, and limited Red Sea workarounds.
Until further notice means the desk will not assign an expiry date. The Russian decree has a 31 December 2026 date. The Kazakh order does not, in the SMM flash. Watch the Energy Ministry, not a calendar assumption.
Figures follow SMM's 27 June flash and the 26 May Roszheldor reporting. Licensed weekly grids are not restated.