Kazakhstan joins Indonesia's top sulphur suppliers as June imports hit record
Wednesday, August 5 2026 - 03:42 PM WIB
By Pandu Setiabudi
Indonesia imported 336,800 tonnes of sulphur in June 2026, up 21.2% from the previous month but down 25.9% from a year earlier, according to data released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Aug. 3. Despite the lower import volume, import value surged to a record US$373.1 million, up 68.3% month on month and 169.5% year on year.
During the January-June period, sulphur imports totaled 1.85 million tonnes, down 29.4% from a year earlier, while import value more than doubled to US$1.27 billion from US$627.7 million, reflecting sharply higher sulphur prices.
Canada was the largest supplier in June with 132,000 tonnes, followed by Saudi Arabia with 108,700 tonnes, Kazakhstan with 39,900 tonnes and Malaysia with 10,800 tonnes. Saudi Arabia remained the leading supplier during the first half with 519,800 tonnes, ahead of Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Obi Island was the largest import gateway in June, receiving 177,600 tonnes, while Weda remained the leading destination during the first half with 706,400 tonnes, followed by Obi Island, Morowali and Gresik.
Although June import volume remained below last year's level, the average import price climbed to about US$1,108 per tonne, up 39% from May and 264% from a year earlier. Saudi Arabia recorded the highest average price among the major suppliers at US$1,288 per tonne, while Kazakhstan offered the lowest at US$939 per tonne, helping it emerge as one of Indonesia's leading sulphur suppliers during the month.
Elevated sulphur prices are expected to increase operating costs for downstream industries, particularly high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) nickel processing plants, which rely heavily on sulphur as a key raw material.
For the full year 2025, Indonesia imported 5.41 million tonnes of sulphur worth US$1.63 billion. Saudi Arabia was the largest supplier with 1.76 million tonnes, while Weda was the country's largest import gateway, handling 1.87 million tonnes.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak