Policy Radar: China Halts Sulphuric Acid Exports: What Q4 Buyers Must Check
Policy Radar: China Halts Sulphuric Acid Exports: What Q4 Buyers Must Check
Executive Summary
HS 2807000010 acid is frozen until 31 December 2026. Oleum sits under HS 2807000090, and ports read it differently.
| 93% |
| 98% |
| 99.99999% |
| 0% |
| 99.16% |
| 99.75% |
Overview
Since 1 May 2026, standard industrial sulphuric acid and smelter by-product acid cannot be exported from China. The suspension runs to 31 December 2026 and sits under HS code 2807000010.
Two product groups are caught: 93% and 98% industrial concentrated acid, and by-product acid from copper, zinc and nickel smelting. The smelter grades test close enough to industrial acid that customs treats them the same way.
There was no transition window. Every declaration filed after 1 May 2026 is judged against the new rule. Frankly, that is the part most buyers missed.
Key Details
Only electronic-grade acid clears. That means G5 grade or above, purity at 99.99999% or better, and end use limited to precision cleaning and etching for semiconductors and LCD panels.
Even then, you need a dual-use item export licence from the Ministry of Commerce before booking. Volumes run against an annual quota, and once the quota is gone the declaration channel closes. Dangerous goods packaging certificate, SDS, GHS label. All three.
The export rebate is 0%. Do not price it in.
Put simply, for most traders this lane does not exist.
Looking Ahead
Oleum sits under HS 2807000090. It was never written into the suspension list. There is also no official exemption document for it.
The catch is right there. No unified document means each port applies its own reading. The same container may clear at one customs district and be pulled for extra paperwork at the next one.
Get a written pre-classification ruling before you book. Then book. Not the other way round.
Implications
June 2026 tells the story. Total sulphuric acid exports came to 0.098 million tonnes worth 486,300 US dollars, at an average unit price of 496.21 US dollars per tonne. Volume fell 99.16% month on month and 99.75% year on year.
China shipped 4.7 million tonnes of sulphuric acid across all of 2025. That works out near 0.39 million tonnes a month. June 2026 managed 0.098 million tonnes in total.
Watch out for anyone promising volume out of China before 2027.
Section 5
Read the HS code on the proforma invoice first. If it says 2807000010, stop and re-source inside China. No broker can talk that one through.
For oleum under HS 2807000090, get a written pre-classification ruling from the customs district you will actually ship through. A verbal yes is worth nothing at the gate.
Check the calendar. Tianjin wants the dangerous goods maritime declaration 10 to 15 days before loading, and the electronic manifest 48 hours before the vessel arrives. A paperwork surprise at day minus three costs you the sailing, not just a fee.
Finally, re-check your dangerous goods packaging certificate. Validity now runs on a one-year clock, and certificates issued last autumn are quietly expiring right now. Bottom line: sort the paperwork before you sort the freight.
Market Outlook
Expect low-volume, high-priced electronic-grade shipments to dominate China's acid export data through December. Buyers in Chile and Indonesia, which took half of 2025 volumes, will need to re-source from non-Chinese smelters for Q4.JETWAY Supply Chain is your execution partner on the ground in China — based in Tianjin, licensed as an NVOCC (MOT) and a member of CIFA, FIATA and WCA. We handle special cargo and compliance (dangerous goods, chemicals, batteries) across ocean, air, rail and road, and we pre-check your documents before the box is stuffed so your filing clears the first time. Send us your next booking and we will run the checks above against your sailing date. Request a quote.