Dear User:
Hello! As the world's largest hydrometallurgical copper production region, the African Copper Belt has a rigid demand for sulfuric acid and sulfur. Since 2025, the prices of sulfur and sulfuric acid have been continuously rising, driving up the cost of local hydrometallurgical copper. To more accurately reflect regional market changes, after thorough market research and data accumulation, SMM plans to add four new price points starting from June 5, 2026: Sulfuric Acid (EXW Zambia), Sulfuric Acid (EXW DRC), Sulfur (DAP DRC), and Sulfur (DDP DRC).
The relevant price points are defined as follows:
1. Price Point Name: Sulfuric Acid (EXW Zambia)
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Quality Standard:Concentration 98% (Industrial Grade)
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Definition:Ex-factory price of sulfuric acid, Zambia
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Unit:USD/ton
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Minimum trading volume level:Minimum 35 tons
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Delivery Deadline: Within 30 days
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Release Time:Every Friday working day in Lusaka, 12:00 noon
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Payment Terms:TT or other conventional payment methods
2. Price Point Name: Sulfuric Acid (EXW DRC)
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Quality Standard:Concentration 98% (Industrial Grade)
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Definition:Ex-factory price of sulfuric acid, Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Unit:USD/ton
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Minimum trading volume level:Minimum 35 tons
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Delivery Deadline: Within 30 days
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Release Time:Every Friday working day in Kinshasa, 12:00 noon
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Payment Terms:TT or other conventional payment methods
3. Price Point Name: Sulfur (DAP DRC)
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Quality Standards:Sulfur Content ≥ 99.5% (on a dry basis); Ash Content ≤ 0.05% (on a dry basis); Moisture Content ≤ 2.0%; Lumps or Granules
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Definition:Sulfur Delivered at Place (DAP), where the seller bears the costs of transportation and insurance to the named destination, and the buyer is responsible for import customs clearance and duties, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
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Unit:USD/ton
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Brand:Mainstream Middle Eastern sources (UAE ADNOC, Saudi Aramco, Qatar QatarEnergy, Kuwait KPC, etc.)
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Minimum trading volume level:Minimum 10,000 tons
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Delivery Deadline: Within 30 days
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Release Time:Every Friday working day in Kinshasa, 12:00 noon
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Payment Terms:TT or other conventional payment methods
4. Price Point Name: Sulfur (DDP DRC)
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Quality Standards:Sulfur Content ≥ 99.5% (on a dry basis); Ash Content ≤ 0.05% (on a dry basis); Moisture ≤ 2.0%; Lumps or Granules
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Definition:Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) for sulfur, where the seller bears all costs of transportation, insurance, and import customs clearance (including duties), and the goods are delivered to the buyer with all import formalities completed, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
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Unit:USD/ton
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Brand:Mainstream Middle Eastern sources (UAE ADNOC, Saudi Aramco, Qatar QatarEnergy, Kuwait KPC, etc.)
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Minimum trading volume level:Minimum 10,000 tons
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Delivery Deadline: Within 30 days
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Release Time:Every Friday working day in Kinshasa, 12:00 noon
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Payment Terms:TT or other conventional payment methods
General Rules of SMM Pricing Methodology Shanghai Metals Market (hereinafter referred to as SMM) is a completely independent third-party service provider that does not participate in any substantial transactions. Instead, it maintains close communication with the buyers or sellers of transactions as a market observer or organizer and provides relevant services to the market. Through communication with industry insiders, SMM continuously formulates, reviews, and revises its methodology, adopts the most common product specifications, trade terms, and trade conditions in the industry, and equally values normal transactions that meet the specification standards. SMM reserves the right to exclude any price information deemed to be of poor reliability or unrepresentative from its price quotation judgment.
SMM publishes daily metal spot prices (or indices, including those for the Chinese market, markets outside China, and global markets), commonly referred to as SMM Prices. SMM has developed corresponding methodologies for all published SMM Prices (which will be published on SMM's official website www.smm.cnfor query), and the methodologies specify the methods and procedures for the generation and publication of SMM Prices, with SMM Prices being generated and published strictly in accordance with the provisions of the methodologies. To align with the actual situation of the Spot Market, SMM will make necessary revisions to the SMM Price Methodology and announce them on SMM's official website prior to formal implementation. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding SMM Prices or their methodologies, please contact SMM customer service staff (please query the contact information on SMM's official website www.smm.cn).
May 21, 2026
Shanghai Metals Market Copper Research Team