[SMM Stainless Steel Flash] India’s Stainless Steel Industry Faces Supply Gap Amid Rising Domestic Demand

In 2025, the sulfur market experienced wild swings under the dual impact of multiple supply-side contractions and the rapid release of demand from the new energy sector, with prices rising by more than 200 over the year. Looking ahead to 2026, the tight supply-demand landscape is expected to persist.

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 24 Mar , 2026

Faced with a severe energy supply crunch and skyrocketing prices triggered by the Middle East conflict, the Philippine Department of Energy has authorized the temporary use of "dirtier" Euro-II petroleum products, which contain ten times more sulfur than the current Euro-IV standard, specifically for older vehicles, industrial plants, and the shipping sector. This emergency measure follows diesel prices breaching 100 pesos per liter for the first time, a crisis exacerbated by the country's limited refining capacity and the 1998 Oil Deregulation Law. As the region grapples with the obstruction of the Strait of Hormuz, the Philippines joins neighbors like Vietnam and Thailand in pivoting back to high-emission fuels and coal to ensure domestic energy security amidst the global turmoil.