Ferro chrome
An iron-chromium alloy, usually 50–70% chromium, made by smelting chromite ore. It is the main way chromium enters stainless steel. China makes about half of the world's ferrochrome, and South Africa is the second-largest producer.
Supply risk
Reviewed 3 Oct 2026 · Methodology
Moderate
China leads ferrochrome output as South African smelters stay idle
Supply concentration (elevated) and operational disruption (elevated) set the level: China made about half of world ferrochrome in 2023, and suspensions at major South African smelters since 2025 have shifted more output to China. Kazakhstan, India and Finland still supply the alloy and no export restriction applies to it, so supply to major markets is not impaired.
Since 1 Jan 2023 · Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Miningmx
Get alerts for this materialRisk drivers
- Supply concentrationElevated
- World ferrochrome output was 15.7 million t in 2023: China about 49%, South Africa 20%, India and Kazakhstan 9% each. South African output has since fallen sharply. USGS's 2025 list notice put Chinese control of chromium ferroalloys at 70–80%. US imports in 2021–24 came mainly from South Africa (41%) and Kazakhstan (24%).Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Register (U.S. Geological Survey), U.S. Geological Survey
- Export controlsModerate
- No export controls on ferrochrome itself were identified. South Africa agreed on 25 Jun 2025 to place chrome ore, the alloy's feedstock, under ITAC export permits; USGS notes such controls could affect Chinese ferrochrome output. SA ore exports in June 2026 were still 39% above a year earlier.Sources: International Energy Agency, Policies Database, U.S. Geological Survey, SMM (Shanghai Metals Market)
- Policy & tariffsModerate
- US normal duties on ferrochrome were 1.9% (over 3% carbon) and 3.1% (lower carbon) at end-2025. Proclamation 11001 (14 Jan 2026) set no Section 232 tariff on processed critical minerals but left further measures open. South Africa is negotiating electricity tariff relief for smelters.Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Thompson Hine, International Energy Agency, Policies Database
- Operational disruptionElevated
- The Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture, South Africa's largest producer, suspended Boshoek (1 May 2025), Wonderkop (31 May 2025) and Lion smelters over electricity costs and Chinese competition. Its output fell 51% in Jan–Sep 2025, and Merafe's attributable output fell 75% in H1 2026.Sources: GMK Center, Miningmx, SMM (Shanghai Metals Market)
- Demand shockLow
- Stainless steel takes about 80% of ferrochrome. USGS reports Chinese stainless production was affected by oversupply and weaker demand in 2025, which may have weighed on the ferrochrome market.Source: U.S. Geological Survey
A supply-availability rating, not a price forecast or investment view. Export-control information is factual and is not legal advice.
Trade flows
2024 · HS 720241, 720249
Ferro-chromium (high and low carbon)
Recorded world imports: 7 Mt · $9.5B
Top exporters
- South Africa46%3.2 Mt · $3.51B
- Kazakhstan27%1.9 Mt · $3.07B
- India8%540,220 t · $796M
- Zimbabwe6%389,017 t · $455M
- Finland4%310,792 t · $384M
- Russia2%111,312 t · $235M
- Netherlands1%83,782 t · $140M
- Albania<1%60,905 t · $142M
- China<1%55,520 t · $96.1M
- Türkiye<1%49,504 t · $132M
Top importers
- China52%3.7 Mt · $4.4B
- Indonesia13%902,722 t · $1.09B
- Japan7%489,873 t · $847M
- United States6%433,327 t · $724M
- South Korea6%419,702 t · $581M
- Belgium2%142,131 t · $193M
- Germany2%125,306 t · $270M
- Netherlands2%124,543 t · $187M
- Spain1%79,950 t · $127M
- Sweden1%79,932 t · $105M
Largest routes
- South Africa→China1.8 Mt · $1.9B
- Kazakhstan→China1.2 Mt · $1.78B
- South Africa→Indonesia667,873 t · $737M
- Zimbabwe→China340,074 t · $388M
- Kazakhstan→Japan241,107 t · $490M
Source: UN Comtrade, imports reported by 100 countries for 2024. Exporters are ranked by what importing countries recorded (mirror data), so countries that do not report their own exports are still counted. Values are in US dollars including freight and insurance. Weights are product weight. Recent years can be incomplete, and unrecorded trade is not included.
Overview
Ferrochrome (FeCr) is an of iron and chromium, typically containing 50–70% chromium, produced by reducing chromite . It is the most important raw material for and takes the majority of the world's chromium supply.1
Ferrochrome itself is not on critical-mineral lists, but its parent element is: chromium has no in stainless steel, its leading , or in , its main strategic use.2
How it is made
ferrochrome is made almost entirely by carbothermic reduction of chromite ore in three-phase submerged , using metallurgical coke, coal or charcoal as the reducing agent. Because most chromite is mined as fine , it is usually pelletized and or briquetted first. The ratio of chromium to iron in the ore sets the chromium content of the alloy: low-ratio stratiform ores, such as South Africa's, yield the lower-grade alloy known as charge chrome.3
Medium- and low-carbon grades cannot be made carbothermically. They are produced by silicothermic reduction of chromite (for example the Duplex or Perrin process) or by decarburizing high-carbon ferrochrome in an oxygen-blown converter.31 is power-intensive, and electricity costs drive output: in South Africa, Merafe cut ferrochrome production by 22% in 2023, citing higher electricity and weak markets.4
World ferrochrome production was 15.7 million t (gross weight) in 2023. China produced an estimated 49% of it, followed by South Africa, India and Kazakhstan.4
- China7,750,000 t · 49%
- South Africa3,200,000 t · 20%
- India1,400,000 t · 9%
- Kazakhstan1,400,000 t · 9%
- Zimbabwe400,000 t · 3%
- Finland390,000 t · 2%
- Indonesia300,000 t · 2%
- Russia300,000 t · 2%
- Other countries562,660 t · 4%
Gross weight. World total shown is the sum of USGS country figures; USGS rounds it to 15.7 million t. Several country figures, including China's, are USGS estimates. Source: 2023 Minerals Yearbook: Chromium (advance release)
South Africa was also the leading producer of chromite ore in 2025, when world was an estimated 51 million t, and about 95% of known chromium resources lie in Kazakhstan and southern Africa.2 In Finland, Outokumpu made 390,000 t of ferrochrome at Tornio in 2023 from ore mined at Kemi, the country's only chromite mine.4
What it is used for
Stainless steel accounts for about 80% of ferrochrome use. Chromium forms a thin, stable film that makes the steel resistant. Special steels, such as tool, bearing and engineering steels, take about another 15%.5 Low-carbon ferrochrome is also used to make superalloys.1
In the United States, stainless- and heat-resisting-steel producers were the leading consumers of ferrochrome, and high-carbon ferrochrome was the leading chromium material consumed.24
Grades and forms
Ferrochrome is graded mainly by carbon content, which determines its use. Charge chrome and high-carbon ferrochrome both contain 4–9% carbon and differ mainly in chromium and silicon content. Most output is charge chrome.1 The EU reference document on production gives a wider carbon range for high-carbon grades, 2–12%.3
Charge chrome
Typically 45–56% Cr, 4–9% C, 3–7% Si
Lower-chromium high-carbon grade made from low Cr:Fe stratiform ores, mainly in South Africa; the bulk of world output, used for stainless steel.
High-carbon ferrochrome (HC FeCr)
Typically 60–70% Cr, 4–9% C, 1–3% Si
Higher-chromium carbothermic grade used mainly for stainless and other alloy steels.
Medium-carbon ferrochrome (MC FeCr)
0.5–4% C
Used in foundries and in steel plants with limited refining capacity where low silicon is wanted.
Low-carbon ferrochrome (LC FeCr)
< 0.5% C
Made by metallothermic reduction; adds chromium to steel without adding carbon, and is also used for superalloys.
Trade and policy
The United States had no ferrochrome production in 2023 and relies on imports.4 In 2021–24, South Africa supplied 41% of imports, Kazakhstan 24%, Russia 6% and Finland 5%. At the end of 2025, US normal-trade-relations tariffs on ferrochrome were 1.9% ad valorem for grades above 3% carbon and 3.1% for lower-carbon grades.2
The US Defense Logistics Agency listed potential disposals of 21,800 t of ferrochrome from the National Defense for fiscal year 2025.2 also notes that possible and tariffs on South African chromite ore could affect ferrochrome production in China.2
In the EU, the definitive on ferroalloy imports adopted in November 2025 covers manganese and silicon alloys, but not ferrochrome (CN 7202 41 and 7202 49).6
This section is factual background, not legal or trade-compliance advice.
Recycling and substitution
Chromium is mainly through stainless-steel , which can replace ferrochrome in some metallurgical uses. In 2025, chromium in stainless-steel scrap supplied 21% of US apparent consumption.2 An analysis published by the stainless-steel industry found that about 95% of stainless steel is recycled at the end of its life.7
Sources
-
What is ferrochrome (FeCr) and what is it used for. International Chromium Development Association, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
-
Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Chromium. U.S. Geological Survey, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7
-
Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Non-Ferrous Metals Industries. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
-
2023 Minerals Yearbook: Chromium (advance release). U.S. Geological Survey, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
-
Why is chrome used in so many applications. International Chromium Development Association, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩
-
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2351 imposing a definitive safeguard measure on imports of certain ferro-alloying elements. EUR-Lex, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩
-
95% of stainless steel is recycled at the end of its life. International Chromium Development Association, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩
Sourcing ferro chrome?
ASZ Company FZCO, the operator of this site, supplies ferro chrome to industrial buyers worldwide.