Sulfuric acid
硫酸
Sulfuric acid is the highest-tonnage industrial chemical on the planet and one of the most concentrated dangerous-goods bookings a sourcing manager will run. The 98 percent grade ships UN 1830, IMDG Class 8, Packing Group II in rubber-lined or 316L stainless ISO tanks; the dilute battery-acid grade ships UN 2796 in HDPE drums and IBCs. Density at 1.84 means weight-out hits long before cube-out, and the 80 percent surge floor in IMDG Code Chapter 4.2 catches first-time T11 bookings that look fine on paper. Chinese capacity sits across Shandong, Jiangsu, and Yunnan, with the Wengfu phosphate-complex base on the south-western coal-chemical lane. US imports run a small Section 301 exposure that varies by tariff sub-line. This cluster aggregates CAS 7664-93-9 across the regulatory matrix, the substance-level CAS reference, and the sulfuric-acid hub for grade selection and tank-type matching.
Glossary
Terms you will meet on this lane
-
Class 8, IMDG Class 8
The IMDG hazard subclass for corrosive substances, substances that cause irreversible damage to skin, severely corrode metals, or both. Covers acids (sulphuric, hydrochloric, nitric, phosphoric), bases (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide), and certain oxidising acids and salts. The single highest-volume DG class in Chinese chemical exports.
-
PG I / II / III, Packing Group
Three-tier classification under the IMDG Code (and other transport regulations) indicating the relative severity of hazard within a dangerous-goods class. PG I is the most hazardous (great danger), PG II is medium danger, PG III is minor danger. Determines the required packaging strength and the regulatory burden of the shipment.
-
UN Number, UN Number
A four-digit identifier assigned by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods to identify a hazardous substance for international transport. Required on the DG Declaration, the package marking, the placards on the container, and Section 14 of the MSDS.
-
DG Declaration, Dangerous Goods Declaration
A signed shipper's document required for every dangerous-goods sea shipment, certifying that the cargo has been properly classified, packaged, marked, labelled, and is in the proper condition for transport. Issued under the IMDG Code on the IMO Multimodal Dangerous Goods Form.
-
MSA China / 海事局, Maritime Safety Administration of China
The Chinese government authority responsible for maritime safety, ship registration, port-state control, and the regulation of dangerous goods carried by sea on Chinese-flagged vessels and in Chinese ports. Reports to the Ministry of Transport. MSA China issues the Dangerous Goods Container Packing Certificate (危险品集装箱适装证明) that every DG export shipment from China must carry, alongside other operational permits for chemical cargo movement.
-
ISO Tank, ISO Tank Container
A stainless-steel or alloy-steel cylindrical pressure vessel mounted in a 20-foot ISO container frame, designed for the transport of bulk liquids and gases. Capacities typically 18-26 cubic metres (16-25 MT depending on cargo density). UN portable tank instructions cover four families: T1 to T22 for liquids and solids of Classes 1 and 3 to 9, T23 for Class 4.1 self-reactive substances and Class 5.2 organic peroxides, T50 for non-refrigerated liquefied gases, and T75 for cryogenic liquefied gases. ISO tanks carry the bulk of the world's hazardous liquid chemical trade and compete with parcel tankers at different scales.
-
SDS, Safety Data Sheet
The 16-section document that communicates the hazards, handling, storage, and emergency response information for a chemical product. Required at destination customs for any classified hazardous chemical and at the buyer's site for worker safety. SDS is the GHS-aligned successor to the older MSDS format.
-
COA, Certificate of Analysis
A document issued by the manufacturer (or by an accredited third-party lab) certifying that a specific batch of a chemical or material meets the agreed specification. Lists tested parameters, results, the test methods used, and a batch number that ties back to production.
-
FOB, Free On Board
Incoterm under which the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel at the named port of shipment. Risk and cost transfer to the buyer once the cargo crosses the ship's rail. The buyer arranges and pays for sea freight, marine insurance, and all destination-side costs.
-
CIF, Cost, Insurance, and Freight
Incoterm under which the seller is responsible for the cost of the goods, marine insurance, and sea freight to the named destination port. Risk transfers from seller to buyer when the goods are loaded on board at the origin port, but cost responsibility extends to destination port arrival.
Regulatory matrix
Cross-jurisdiction compliance
-
Sulfuric acid under REACH
European Union listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
-
Sulfuric acid under TSCA
United States of America listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
-
Sulfuric acid under IECSC
People's Republic of China listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
-
Sulfuric acid under AICIS
Australia listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
-
Sulfuric acid under K-REACH
Republic of Korea listing status, classifications, importer obligations.
Cornerstone hub
Buying chain end to end
ISO tank types
Freight-form references for the cargo
-
T11 ISO Tank Container (general chemical workhorse)
T11 is the most widely used UN portable tank in the global chemical fleet. Min test pressure 6 bar, MAWP 4 bar, 6 mm reference steel shell (4.18 mm 316L equivalent), bottom outlet allowed, normal PRV. Permitted for around 1,000 UN-numbered chemicals plus food-grade and water cargoes.
-
Rubber-Lined ISO Tank Container (natural / bromobutyl / chlorobutyl)
Rubber-lined ISO tanks use 4 to 8 mm soft natural rubber, bromobutyl, or chlorobutyl liners for concentrated HCl 30 to 37% and dilute sulphuric to 70%. Marflex PG70 / HB50HT / VE621BC are the standard grades. Mid-grade chemical resistance, lower cost than PTFE.
Sourzi operator note
For volume tonnage on this lane, the tank type is the decision: rubber-lined T11 for ambient 98 percent, lead-lined or PTFE-lined for dilute or hot service. Get the tank wrong and the cargo eats the lining inside a quarter.
Curated by Sean. Primary-source verified per the regulatory drafting rules in Sourzi CLAUDE.md.
Sourcing sulfuric acid?
Tell us the chemical, grade and quantity. A person on our team in Shanghai sends you a real, checked factory, and your first one is free.
Free download
Free PDF: thirty-point factory audit checklist used on every Sourzi site visit before a first shipment.