The sulphuric acid market is under bearish conditions in Europe and the US amid muted demand and narrow trade activity. Recent tariffs and decreasing import volumes have upset traditional flows, while major buyers hold off from procurement. Overall, sentiment remains weak, and producers are struggling with fewer near-term export opportunities for sulphuric acid.
In Europe, limited transaction action has reinforced the subdued appetite of delivered markets. Consumers have been holding back, postponing purchases in anticipation of weaker prices in the future. The scenario has been further fueled by the recent EU–US trade agreement on 28 July, which led Washington to impose a 15% import tax on sulphuric acid from Europe. The unexpected imposition is already deterring new shipments from across the Atlantic, undermining one of the primary markets for European manufacturers.
The tariff shock has spilled over into the US Gulf (USG), one of the biggest traditional recipients of European sulphuric acid. The USG is now in a phase of decreased demand, with customers not willing to bear extra expenses under the new trade regime. Market players say the resultant discrepancy is expected to put pressure on European spot prices, with fewer prospects for export.
Simultaneously, in Brazil, a frequent buyer is known to be adequately covered for the time being and will not likely resume market purchases until mid-August. Such a postponement in buying sulphuric acid has also weighed on near-term mood, especially as sellers seek alternative destinations in which to deliver cargoes.
The United States alone recorded a 6% drop in sulphuric acid imports in the first half of 2025, with volumes coming in at 1.65 million tonnes between January and June. The decline was attributed to weaker downstream consumption of sulphuric acid and also the distortion brought about by the new tariff regime. US Gulf export interest has appeared in the shape of freight inquiry volumes for 18,000–20,000 tonnes to the west coast of South America, though all major sources view these checks as rate-testing exercises and not genuine business.
Generally, the short-term perspective for sulphuric acid is under pressure on both sides of the Atlantic. With weak demand in the US Gulf, back-end buying in Brazil, and curtailed trade flows as a result of tariffs, European producers have a diminishing export window. Unless demand picks up in major consuming regions by late August, European and US sulphuric acid prices are likely to trend downwards, reinforcing the bearish sentiment prevailing in the market.
