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According to the National Bureau of Statistics, national sulfuric acid (100% basis) output in June 2026 reached approximately 7.923 million tons (vs. 8.365 million in May, 8.948 million in April, and 9.637 million in March, showing a month‑on‑month decline). The year‑on‑year change for the month was about ‑10%. For the first half of the year (January–June), cumulative production totaled roughly 52.223 million tons, a year‑on‑year decrease of about ‑0.1% (down from +1.9% in the January–May period, mainly due to the sharp 10% drop in June). Production remains heavily concentrated in smelting and phosphate‑fertilizer provinces such as Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Anhui, Henan, and Shandong—with Yunnan ranking first at about 1.24 million tons per month. Smelter acid (by‑product from copper/zinc processing) forms the supply backbone, while acid for phosphate fertilizer drives the bulk of demand.

On August 13, Rio Tinto announced that the Tomago Aluminum Smelter had reached an agreement with the Australian Government and the New South Wales Government to secure long-term power supply under a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) running through 2038. The agreement will take effect after the existing power contract expires on December 31, 2028, and from 2033 all electricity will be sourced from renewable energy. Under the agreement, the Tomago Aluminum Smelter plans to invest A$1.1 billion by 2038, of which A$100 million will be used for decarbonization projects. The smelter produces up to 590,000 mt of aluminum per year, accounting for about 40% of Australia's annual production, and directly employs about 1,000 people. Rio Tinto holds a 51.55% stake in the joint venture.