A sharp drop in sulfur shipments through the Strait of Hormuz lifts global prices

Shafaq News reported on Sunday 2 August 2026 (11 Mordad 1405) that sulfur prices have risen 134 percent since the outbreak of the US and Iran war on 28 February. The outlet attributed that figure to the media outlet Bull Theory. Sulfur is a key input in fertiliser manufacturing, so a higher price raises food production costs worldwide.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital route for the global seaborne sulfur trade, handling about half of worldwide shipments. According to figures Shafaq News attributed to Reuters, only 80,000 metric tons of sulfur passed through the strait during three and a half months of conflict, compared with 640,000 metric tons after a de-escalation agreement was reached.

In Iran, sulfur is produced mainly as a by-product of the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Both the global price level and the ability to move cargoes through the Strait of Hormuz therefore bear on export earnings from that sector.