First phosphate cargo transits Strait of Hormuz since Iran war began; eight vessels remain stranded in Gulf

A vessel carrying approximately 50,000 tonnes of granular sulfur destined for Morocco’s Jorf Lasfar phosphate complex transited the Strait of Hormuz between May 1 and 6, according to AIS tracking data from Kpler cited by Argus Media — the second phosphate-linked cargo to successfully cross the strait since the US-Iran conflict began on February 28.

The shipment was sailing under usual quarterly contracts and had been delayed by the effective closure of the strait. The cargo is expected to arrive at Rio Grande, Brazil, where it is bound under the same contracts. Eight other vessels carrying phosphate-related materials loaded at Ras Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia, remain in the Persian Gulf awaiting passage. Analysts estimate close to one million tonnes of sulfur is currently loaded and waiting, of which roughly 60–70% is tied to existing contracts and the balance likely to enter the spot market once navigation becomes safer.

Sulfur is a critical input for the phosphate fertilizer manufacturing process — it is converted to sulfuric acid, which is needed to process phosphate rock into DAP, MAP, and TSP. Kuwait’s state-owned KPC set its May Kuwait Sulfur Price (KSP) at $765 per tonne FOB, up $195 per tonne from April, a move that reflects both supply scarcity and the elevated risk premium on Gulf cargoes.

Indian DAP producers are particularly exposed. Even if the strait reopens fully, Argus analysts warn that disruptions to global raw material supply chains will take months to dissipate, increasing India’s reliance on finished DAP imports to meet demand ahead of the kharif season starting around the end of Q3. The reappearance of individual transits signals that passage is possible but far from routine — and insurance, freight, and security costs continue to add materially to delivered fertilizer prices.