moscow Has Banned the Sale of Sulfur Abroad, but Is Forced to Import It Itself

russia has temporarily banned the export of technical sulfur until the end of 2025 in an attempt to maintain fertilizer production and avoid a shortage of critical raw materials. The ban applies to all basic forms – liquid, granular, and lump. Formally, the decision is explained by “food security”, but it indicates deepening problems in russia’s chemical industry.

The rf is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of sulfur, but even with this status, production volumes have declined by 11.2 % since the beginning of the year, to 3.17 million tons. The decrease was due to a drop in oil and gas processing, from which most technical sulfur is obtained.

Despite significant reserves and production capacity, the country is forced to import raw materials: in October, it purchased about 35,000 tons at a price of $390 per ton. This indicates that the domestic market cannot cope with demand, while producers are facing rising costs due to higher domestic prices.

The new restrictions may increase pressure on russian chemical producers and traders, who will lose part of their foreign currency revenues. The government hopes to stabilize domestic supply, but given current trends, russian industry risks finding itself in a situation where raw material shortages become systemic and production efficiency declines even further.