Turkey Ministry of Trade — Sulphur Export Ban (GTP 2503), April–September 2026

Mechanism

Turkey's Export General Directorate (İhracat Genel Müdürlüğü) issued a circular dated 6 April 2026, effective 7 April 2026, prohibiting exports of sulphur classified under Gümrük Tarife Pozisyonu (GTP) 2503:

> "All kinds of sulphur (except sublimed sulphur, precipitated sulphur and > colloidal sulphur)" — HS 2503

Customs declarations registered before 7 April 2026 were exempted; all subsequent export declarations against GTP 2503 were blocked. The measure runs through 30 September 2026 (covering Q2 and Q3 2026).

Trigger: A letter from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığı) dated 1 April 2026 cited:

• A 35–40% surge in domestic sulphur prices used as a raw material in

ammonium sulphate (AS) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser production.

• Supply shortages linked to disruptions in the Persian Gulf / Strait of

Hormuz region, which supplies approximately half of global seaborne sulphur.

Tüpraş exposure: Tüpraş (Türkiye Petrol Rafinerileri A.Ş., TUPRS.IS), Turkey's largest refiner, recovers sulphur as a byproduct at its four refinery complexes (İzmit, İzmir, Kırıkkale, Kırklareli). Tüpraş typically sells ~8,000 t/month via a regular Mediterranean spot tender; that tender was suspended immediately following the circular. Tüpraş sulphur flows primarily to regional fertiliser blenders and chemical producers in Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, and East Africa.

Supply-chain context

Turkey is a secondary but regionally significant sulphur exporter (~226,500 t in 2025), positioned in the Mediterranean spot market between the larger Russian and Middle Eastern supply centres. The April 2026 ban coincides with — and amplifies — the Russia sulphur export ban under Decree No. 350 (extended to 30 June 2026; see 2026-03-31-russia-decree-350-sulphur-export-ban-extension):

Both measures target the same HS 2503 product family. The overlap from 7 April through 30 June 2026 removes two sources simultaneously from the Mediterranean and East African import basins during the peak spring/summer sulphuric-acid demand window.

Downstream implications

• Fertiliser production cost — Sulphur is the feedstock for sulphuric

acid (H₂SO₄), which in turn is consumed in DAP and MAP production. Higher input costs squeeze margins for sulphur-importing fertiliser producers in Egypt (Abu Qir), Morocco (OCP Jorf Lasfar), and East African blenders.

• East Africa food-supply chain — Tanzania and Kenya are among the

main Mediterranean-sulphur importing markets; reduced sulphur availability tightens fertiliser supply for the 2026 long-rains planting season (March–May) and the short-rains season (October–December).

• Copper/nickel leaching acid — Global sulphuric-acid tightness flows

through to heap-leach operations in Zambia, DRC, and Chile, compressing margins at non-integrated copper/cobalt producers (see 2026-03-27-zambia-si-17-2026-sulphuric-acid-export-permit for the parallel Zambia acid-export permit regime).

• BC Insight (April 2026) notes India has also moved to curb sulphur

exports; if confirmed, the three-way supply compression (RU + TR + IN) would be structurally analogous to the 2022 fertiliser-export shock.

Open questions

• Whether Tüpraş resumes Mediterranean spot tenders after September 30, 2026,

or whether the measure is extended analogously to Russia's rolling-extension pattern.

• Whether Turkish domestic sulphur stocks are sufficient to satisfy the

AS/DAP fertiliser season through Q3 2026, or whether the Ministry of Agriculture will seek further extension into Q4 2026.

• Whether the India sulphur-export curb cited by BC Insight constitutes a

formal regulatory ban (no filed primary source as of filing date).