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ASZFeSi

Ferro silicon

An iron-silicon alloy, most often sold as 75% or 50% silicon grades, used to deoxidize steel and in iron foundries. China makes about 70% of the world's ferrosilicon, and the alloy faces trade-defense measures in both the US and EU.

Supply risk

Reviewed 3 Oct 2026 · Methodology

Elevated

China makes 70% of ferrosilicon; EU and US trade measures redirect supply

Supply concentration (high) and policy (high) set the level: China made about 70% of world ferrosilicon in 2025, the EU has banned Russian ferroalloys, and an EU safeguard and US duty orders cover other lanes. The level stays elevated rather than high because supply from China, Norway, Brazil and others still reaches major markets within quotas and duties.

Since 1 Jan 2023 · Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, GMK Center, SteelOrbis

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Risk drivers

Supply concentrationHigh
China produced about 3.5 million t of the world's 5.0 million t of ferrosilicon (silicon content) in 2025, about 70%; Russia was second at about 420,000 t. In its Nov 2025 critical-minerals notice USGS described Chinese market control of silicon ferroalloys as 70 to 80 percent.Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Register (U.S. Geological Survey)
Export controlsModerate
China's 2026 tariff schedule keeps a 25% export duty on ferrosilicon with more than 55% silicon (HS 7202.21). No licensing regime, quota or ban on ferrosilicon exports by a leading producer was identified.Source: HTSHub
Policy & tariffsHigh
The EU banned Russian ferroalloys in Dec 2023, with old contracts ending 20 Dec 2024. US duty orders cover Russia (from 21 Nov 2024) and Brazil, Kazakhstan and Malaysia (from 20 May 2025). An EU safeguard quota covers ferrosilicon, Norway and Iceland included, from 18 Nov 2025 to 17 Nov 2028. EU anti-dumping duties on China and Russia were extended on 29 Jul 2026.Sources: GMK Center, Federal Register (89 FR 92092), Federal Register, SteelOrbis, Mysteel
Operational disruptionLow
On 20 Oct 2025 Elkem partly curtailed ferrosilicon output at Rana, Norway, and in Iceland, citing weak European demand and rising inventories. These were market-driven cuts; no significant physical outage was identified.Source: Elkem ASA via Inderes
Demand shockLow
Ferrosilicon is consumed mainly by steelmakers and iron foundries. USGS estimated that global production of silicon materials fell in 2025, and no demand-driven shortage was identified.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 720221, 720229

Ferro-silicon

Recorded world imports: 2.3 Mt · $3.4B

Top exporters

  1. China19%447,709 t · $614M
  2. Malaysia10%223,014 t · $291M
  3. Brazil8%193,295 t · $361M
  4. Russia8%192,743 t · $244M
  5. Norway7%162,286 t · $306M
  6. Bhutan6%151,623 t · $166M
  7. Kazakhstan5%116,032 t · $165M
  8. Iran4%94,421 t · $97.5M
  9. Iceland4%93,339 t · $161M
  10. France4%87,901 t · $89.7M

Top importers

  1. Japan15%359,566 t · $567M
  2. South Korea11%252,886 t · $356M
  3. India9%202,316 t · $260M
  4. Germany8%192,264 t · $275M
  5. United States8%183,935 t · $343M
  6. Türkiye6%131,604 t · $166M
  7. Spain4%100,807 t · $90.2M
  8. Indonesia4%86,274 t · $114M
  9. China4%82,881 t · $84.3M
  10. Taiwan (Other Asia, nes)3%64,593 t · $97.6M

Largest routes

  1. Bhutan→India148,485 t · $160M
  2. China→Japan119,620 t · $162M
  3. China→South Korea102,564 t · $138M
  4. Malaysia→Japan76,979 t · $98.7M
  5. Brazil→Japan70,158 t · $158M

Source: UN Comtrade, imports reported by 111 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

Ferrosilicon (FeSi) is an of iron and silicon with less than 96% silicon; above that level the product is classed as silicon metal, which is made by the same process.1 The two standard grades contain 50% and 75% silicon.2

Ferrosilicon is not itself on critical-mineral lists. Its parent element was added to the US list of critical minerals in November 2025, and China accounted for almost 80% of the world's silicon materials output in 2025.2

How it is made

Ferrosilicon is produced in low-shaft, three-phase submerged , usually open or semi-closed, from quartz, a carbon reductant (coke, coal, charcoal or woodchips) and iron or steel . The process makes almost no : nearly all impurities report either to the metal or to the microsilica fume captured in the off-gas filters. Where higher purity is needed, the molten alloy is in the ladle by blowing oxygen or air.1

World ferrosilicon production, excluding the United States, was an estimated 5.0 million t of contained silicon in 2025. China produced about 3.5 million t, followed by Russia, Brazil and Norway.2

Ferrosilicon production by country2025 (est.) · world 5,000,000 t
  • China70%
  • Russia8%
  • Brazil3%
  • Norway3%
  • Kazakhstan2%
  • Malaysia2%
  • Other countries8%

Silicon content. World total as rounded by USGS; it excludes US production, which is withheld. Country figures are USGS estimates. Source: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silicon

In the United States, ferrosilicon and silicon metal were produced at five facilities in 2025, all east of the Mississippi River, mainly from domestic quartzite. Combined output was withheld but was estimated to be lower than in 2024.2

What it is used for

Ferrosilicon removes dissolved oxygen from molten steel and, as an alloying element, increases strength, for example in steel for tire cords and ball bearings. ferrosilicon is used to make high-permeability electrical steel for transformers.1 Most US ferrosilicon is consumed by ferrous foundries and the steel industry.2

Grades and forms

Besides the two standard grades, producers make refined high-purity grades and alloys such as magnesium ferrosilicon. US headings split ferrosilicon at 55%, 80% and 90% silicon, and separate out grades with more than 3% calcium or more than 2% magnesium.2

Ferrosilicon 75

≈ 75% Si

One of the two standard grades tracked by USGS.

Ferrosilicon 50

≈ 50% Si

The other standard grade, with correspondingly more iron.

High-purity ferrosilicon

Low-impurity grade refined in the ladle and used to make electrical (transformer) steel.

Magnesium ferrosilicon

> 2% Mg

Ferrosilicon alloyed with magnesium, listed separately in US and EU tariff schedules.

Trade and policy

In 2021–24, US ferrosilicon imports came mainly from Russia (30%), Brazil (16%), Canada (13%) and Malaysia (11%). US imports of ferrosilicon were an estimated 110,000 t (silicon content) in 2025, and was below 50%.2 Recent trade measures include:

DateEvent
Feb 2008EU imposes anti-dumping duties on ferrosilicon from China and Russia; they were extended in April 2014 and July 2020.3
21 Nov 2024US antidumping and countervailing duty orders on ferrosilicon from Russia take effect.4
20 May 2025US antidumping and countervailing duty orders on ferrosilicon from Brazil, Kazakhstan and Malaysia take effect.56
18 Nov 2025EU definitive safeguard on ferroalloys, including ferrosilicon (CN 7202 21 and 7202 29), takes effect for three years, to 17 November 2028. It applies to Norway and Iceland.7
29 Jul 2026EU anti-dumping duties on Chinese and Russian ferrosilicon are extended after a third expiry review requested by Euroalliages.3

The US orders cover ferrosilicon containing more than 8% but not more than 96% silicon and at least 4% iron, in all forms and sizes including briquettes.5 The EU uses country-specific quarterly tariff-rate , with a variable duty on out-of-quota imports priced below a set threshold. Norway and Iceland supplied 47.4% of EU imports of the four alloys it covers in 2024.7

This section is factual background, not legal or trade-compliance advice.

Recycling and substitution

describes of silicon materials as insignificant. Aluminum, silicon carbide and silicomanganese can for ferrosilicon in some applications.2

Sources

  1. Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Non-Ferrous Metals Industries. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silicon. U.S. Geological Survey, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  3. EU extends AD duties on Chinese, Russian ferro-silicon. Mysteel, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2

  4. Ferrosilicon From the Russian Federation: Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders. Federal Register (89 FR 92092), accessed 2026-10-03. ↩

  5. Ferrosilicon From Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia: Antidumping Duty Orders. Federal Register, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2

  6. Ferrosilicon From Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia: Countervailing Duty Orders. Federal Register, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩

  7. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2351 imposing a definitive safeguard measure on imports of certain ferro-alloying elements. EUR-Lex, accessed 2026-10-03. ↩ ↩2

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