After weeks of waiting, a sulfur cargo bound for Morocco clears the Hormuz blockade

According to the Argus Media platform, the Richsing Lotus recently transited the Strait of Hormuz en route to Morocco, where it is scheduled to deliver 50,000 tons of sulfur.

Loaded on March 27, 2026, at the port of Ruwais, the vessel had been awaiting safe passage since the onset of the Iranian blockade of the strait. Its progress was delayed by the effective closure of this strategic maritime corridor. The ship eventually crossed between May 1 and 6, 2026, after positioning itself beyond both Iranian and American blockade zones.

At the time of writing, the Panamanian‑flagged vessel was sailing off the coast of Al Masirah Island in Oman. Carrying 50,000 tons of granular sulfur, it is bound for the Moroccan port complex of Jorf Lasfar, where it is expected to make a stop soon.

On the other hand, in its latest financial report, recently published, the OCP Group notes — regarding raw‑material risk management — that it has secured a competitive sulfur supply through optimized management of long‑term contracts directly concluded with major producers, proactive stock management, and an effective strategy for purchasing crush lump sulfur.

The sulfur market is undergoing an unprecedented bout of volatility, a direct consequence of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Prices have soared to historic highs, nearing $1,000 per ton, marking a spectacular surge compared with levels observed at the end of last year. This inflationary spiral, which had already begun to take shape earlier, abruptly ends the period of low prices that prevailed at the start of 2025, when Middle Eastern sulfur traded at no more than $165 per ton.