SunSirs published its September 10 domestic sulfur review on Thursday morning, describing the Chinese market as characterized by consolidation and fluctuation with subdued trading activity.
According to Feiduoduo calculations cited in the same account, granular sulfur at Zhenjiang Port printed 7,800 yuan per tonne as of September 9, down 30 yuan from the prior trading day.
Granular at Dafeng Port was 7,780 yuan per tonne, also down 30 yuan. Powder and lumps at Zhenjiang were 7,750 yuan per tonne, down 30 yuan, and powder and lumps at Dafeng were 7,730 yuan per tonne, down 30 yuan.
Solid sulfur in East China held at 7,700 yuan per tonne, stable on the day, while liquid sulfur in East China rose 40 yuan to 7,535 yuan per tonne.
The split between steady solids and firmer liquid is consistent with refinery auction dynamics in Shandong and southwest China that have been drifting in open PriceSeek alerts through early September.
On the supply side, domestic refinery operations are steady and port inventories remain relatively low in SunSirs' account, even as Middle East import arrivals are slowed by Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb shipping risk.
US-Iran military tensions and reduced shipping efficiency through the Strait of Hormuz have driven up maritime insurance and freight costs, raising the baseline cost for imported sulfur and providing a floor for domestic spot prices.
Traders show a greater inclination to hold firm on prices as concerns mount over the pace of future import arrivals, but current market needs are still being met by earlier cargoes.
On the demand side, operating rates in the downstream sulfuric acid industry remain relatively stable, with phosphate fertilizer procurement driven primarily by essential needs rather than aggressive restocking.
Autumn fertilizer stockpiling demand is gradually emerging, but downstream enterprises remain cautious and limit their acceptance of high-priced supplies, preferring to replenish based on immediate requirements.
Shengyishe's September 9 national benchmark at 8,126.75 yuan per tonne sits above these port granular prints, so the national index and coastal spot market are not fully converged after the early-September correction.
Port inventory at 965,700 tonnes on September 7 in open Shengyishe data continues to weigh on spot even as geopolitical risk premiums floor import costs.
For Alberta forming plants and the Vancouver stem, domestic Chinese consolidation near 7,800 yuan at Zhenjiang does not automatically reduce Pacific export netbacks when theoretical CFR southern China landed costs stay above 1,070 dollars per tonne on freight and insurance.
Desk read: September 10 confirms a narrow-range consolidation at Yangtze ports with Hormuz risk premiums still anchoring import-cost math. Watch whether autumn phosphate stocking accelerates enough to lift granular quotes or whether high port stocks cap the move.