CHARTS: How the sulphuric acid crunch is driving up critical minerals costs
Market Trends · Mining.com ·
Conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have sent sulphuric acid prices soaring, with sulphur prices climbing more than 50% since the start of the war in Iran. More than half of global lithium, cobalt, rare earth and purified phosphoric acid production expected in 2026 is exposed to sulphur and sulphuric acid disruptions, threatening to drive up production costs across the critical minerals sector.