Buyer questions

Al Mozan produces solar sea salt at its works on the Ras Ajdir sabkha, western Libya, and exports it in bulk to importers, refiners, distributors and industrial users in Europe, North America, the Mediterranean, West Africa and the Gulf, shipping from Tripoli and Zuwara.

From producers and traders in the main solar-salt origins (Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Australia, Mexico, Chile, India) or from regional refiners. For Mediterranean and North European buyers, a Libyan origin offers sailing times of one to eleven days. Request a quote with your specification, quantity and discharge port and we reply within one business day.

The United States is the largest importer in the world (about 19 million tonnes in 2025), followed by China, Japan and South Korea; in Europe the largest import markets are Germany, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy, and Canada imports de-icing salt in shortage years. Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Finland and Iceland import almost all the salt they use.

Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, Italy, Turkey and Morocco are the established solar-salt exporters; Libya is a new origin on the same coast; Al Mozan exports from its Ras Ajdir works near the Tunisian border.

Harmonized System heading 2501 covers salt (including table salt and denatured salt) and pure sodium chloride, whether or not in aqueous solution or containing anti-caking or free-flowing agents, and sea water. In the EU the subheadings 2501 00 51 (denatured or industrial use), 2501 00 91 (fit for human consumption) and 2501 00 99 (other) carry different duty treatment.

It depends on the use. De-icing salt: NaCl ≥98–99 % dry, a gradation envelope (commonly 2–8 mm), moisture limits and anti-caking treatment (EN 16811-1, ASTM D632). Refiner feedstock: high NaCl, low insolubles, consistency between lots. Water-softener salt: ≥99 % NaCl and low insolubles (EN 973). Chlor-alkali membrane feed: ≥99.5 % NaCl with tight calcium, magnesium and sulphate limits, which solar salt usually does not meet without further processing.

In bulk carriers: coasters of 3,000–10,000 t for regional trades and Handysize vessels of 20,000–35,000 t for longer routes, loaded by conveyor or grab and discharged by grab or mobile harbour crane. Smaller quantities move in 1,000 kg big bags or 25/50 kg bags in 20-ft containers. Contracts are usually FOB load port or CFR/CIF discharge port under Incoterms 2020, with an independent load-port quality and quantity certificate.

3,000 t for bulk de-icing salt, 5,000 t for refiner feedstock, 200 t for bagged water-treatment salt and 100 t for bagged de-icing salt. Trial containers of big bags are available before a first vessel.

FOB Tripoli or Zuwara by default. CFR and CIF to the discharge port on request; FCA for containers; DAP for cross-border truck deliveries into Tunisia.

Every lot has a certificate of analysis. We arrange sampling and quality and quantity inspection at the load port by SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek, and the buyer's own surveyor is welcome. Independent load-port results are final for contract purposes.

Irrevocable letter of credit at sight from a first-class bank, or cash against documents for established counterparties. Payment terms are agreed per contract.

Salt is not subject to any UN, EU, UK, US or Canadian sanction. Sanctions on Libya are targeted at listed persons, arms and illicit petroleum. We screen every counterparty, vessel and bank against the UN, EU, UK, OFAC and Canadian lists and can share our compliance pack with your compliance team.

Yes. Laboratory samples of 1–5 kg go by courier; representative trial lots of one container are quoted at cost. Use the request form and select 'Request a sample'.

Pharmaceutical-grade sodium chloride, chlor-alkali membrane feed, tablet or pellet softener salt, iodised table salt, and any grade described as organic. Food, fishery and feed grades are offered only once documentation is complete.