Domestic orders in April dragged down the export market, and acid enterprises may reposition in May [SMM Analysis]

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       According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China exported a total of 264,500 mt of sulphuric acid in April 2025, up 383.05% YoY and down 18.62% MoM. As of April this year, China's total sulphuric acid exports reached 1.3179 million mt, with a cumulative year-on-year increase of 78.12%.

Source: General Administration of Customs

       Looking at the top 10 countries in terms of export rankings in April, Chile remained the main destination for China's sulphuric acid exports, accounting for 53.16% of the total sulphuric acid exported to Chile alone in April. In addition to Chile, which consistently ranked first, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines were also major export destinations for China's sulphuric acid. Among them, exports to Chile and Indonesia decreased by 7.05% and 18.01% MoM, respectively, while exports to India and the Philippines increased by 102.33% and 145.2% MoM, respectively.

Source: General Administration of Customs

       According to SMM, April marked the spring ploughing season in China, with downstream industries such as fertilizers experiencing traditional peak demand. Domestic demand was sufficient, supporting the gradual increase in domestic sulphuric acid prices, which affected export volumes in April. After entering May, the peak demand season in the domestic market ended, and domestic sulphuric acid prices gradually pulled back. SMM expects this to re-stimulate smelting acid enterprises to reposition themselves in the export market.