U.S. Sulphuric Acid FOB Linden, New Jersey prices held steady in the first week of December 2025, with consistent supply from Canadian smelter-linked sources and routine demand from industries such as phosphate fertilizers, refining, mining, and water treatment. However, in the second week there was a strong increase of 6.49%, driven by soaring 12-week bullish trend as limited supply on both domestic and international market and this market participant said that it was tightening inventories at Gulf Coast ports. Mild weather and the fall fertilizer season kept demand subdued in early December, although buyers were driven to chase tones as supplies of high-grade sulphuric acid. Export demand decline in Canada but elevated in Europe due to tightened supply of sulphuric acid.
U.S. Sulphuric Acid demand increased in first half of December. Phosphate fertilizer manufacturers in Florida and Louisiana were already well-solidified for winter stocks by the end of November before moving into maintenance but heavy sulphuric acid intake in 1st half December consumed the overstock inventories. Gulf Coast alkylation units operated at average rates of capacity, providing consistent sulphuric acid consumption. Mining activities throughout the Southwest maintained stable leach demand and water-treatment and pulp-and-paper mills remained on par with routine winter schedules. Potential EPA Sulphur-emission tightened use of sulphuric acid but failed to affect buying. Whereas U.S. sulphuric acid exports remain low due to uninterrupted domestic production within Canadian (Teck-Cominco’s Trail and Glencore’s Kidd) at or near required rates. Minimal port congestion led to normal vessel waiting times. Railcar availability allowed for shipments from the Midwest; discharges at Houston/New Orleans were quiet. In a matter of one-week global tightness of high-powered cargo and supply shortages exacerbated inventories on the Gulf Coast forcing distributors to scramble for tonnage and pushing rates further upwards.
U.S. smelter production and flat elemental sulfur/feedstock prices initially balanced in the first week, as minor port congestion and normalized Mississippi River levees facilitated logistics. Early demand was dampened due to mild weather and fertilizing programs were in place for the most part, with typical activity in refining/mining. In the second week, exports deport demand to Europe rose due to limited availability of high-quality sulphuric acid. Limited and tightened sulphuric acid at the Gulf Coast began to scramble for buyers.
As per ChemAnalyst, U.S. Sulphuric acid market is projected to uptick steady incline through the end of December 2025, as supply tightness and limited global availability continue to exert upward pressure. Momentum may be supported by winter trade programs and industrial steady demand yet keep an eye on the Canadian smelter schedules and freight trends. Balanced fundamentals bode well for further strength in the market, in the absence of any major disturbances.
