According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, China's sulfur imports in April 2026 totaled 295,500 tonnes, a decrease of 42.77% month-on-month and 72.39% year-on-year. From January to April 2026, China's cumulative sulfur imports reached 1.8471 million tonnes, down 48.08% compared to the same period last year. This monthly import volume of less than 300,000 tonnes marks the second-lowest single-month import level in nearly two decades, second only to the 236,500 tonnes recorded in October 2008. The notable decline in April imports can be attributed to both disruptions in the flow of resources from the Middle East and high prices dampening purchasing interest, reflecting the complex trading sentiment and cautious stance of market participants in the domestic sulfur market.

As mentioned above, the monthly import volume of 295,500 tonnes not only represents the second-lowest monthly figure in nearly 20 years but also continues the trend of simultaneous month-on-month and year-on-year declines. Furthermore, the sharp drop in April imports differs fundamentally from the historical low in October 2008. The low point in 2008 was driven by the global financial crisis, with market prices steadily declining, prompting traders and downstream enterprises to adopt a wait-and-see approach; the resulting reduction in imports and risk aversion were rational moves in a falling market. In contrast, the drastic decline in April this year is the result of dual pressures: geopolitical conflicts disrupting resource exports and high prices curbing buying interest. This scenario of high prices and low volumes deviates somewhat from traditional market trading logic, highlighting special factors in the supply-demand fundamentals.

Looking at the overall import data from January to April, the ranking of trading partners remains unchanged from the top countries in the first quarter. As shown above, the top five are South Korea, Canada, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Japan—exactly the same as the top five by cumulative import volume from January to March. In the first four months of this year, China's sulfur imports from the top five trading partners totaled 1.4347 million tonnes, accounting for approximately 77.73% of the total sulfur imports from January to April.

At present, China's sulfur import data for May is likely to hit a new low, with the low-level pattern of monthly imports expected to persist in the short term. Based on port vessel schedules monitored by chempricehub, the supply of sulfur arriving at Chinese ports in May remains tight, and the import volume is likely to fall below April's 295,500 tonnes, with a possibility of challenging the historical low of October 2008. According to chempricehub data, as of May 20, the total imported solid sulfur resources at major domestic ports was less than 100,000 tonnes. Regarding liquid sulfur, there have been rumors in the industry that the vessel-scheduled liquid sulfur resources arriving this month are unlikely to reach the 100,000 tonnes seen in April. In this context, even if some further import resources arrive, May's sulfur import data is unlikely to escape a low-level outcome. As for June's import vessel schedules, there are currently rumors in the industry about imported Canadian sulfur resources arriving in China, although further observation and verification are needed.