According to China Customs data, China’s total chromite ore imports stood at 2.3278 million tons in April 2026, down 4.6% month-on-month while rising 53.65% year-on-year.

According to China Customs statistics, China's total chrome ore imports reached 2.4402 million tons in March 2026, rising 36.42% month-on-month and surging 83.58% year-on-year.Of the total, imports from South Africa stood at 1.966 million tons, up 36.79% month-on-month and 97.05% year-on-year; imports from Turkey were 101,600 tons, down 5.15% month-on-month but up 77.67% year-on-year; imports from Zimbabwe amounted to 169,100 tons, down 3.6% month-on-month and 10.14% year-on-year.

In the spot market, high-priced long-term contracted cargoes arrived at ports in the early stage with high cargo receiving costs. Domestic traders showed a strong willingness to prop up prices, driving continuous hikes in chromite quotations. However, downstream demand remained sluggish. Coupled with persistently high shipments and a notable inventory build-up, selling pressure intensified, slowing the upward momentum of spot chromite prices.

The chrome ore market performed strongly in the first week after the Spring Festival. Although the March stainless steel tender prices announced by Tsingshan and TISCO on the alloy side were flat, falling slightly below previous bullish expectations, the ore sector was driven by both costs and supply, with futures and spot prices rising simultaneously. Traders hold an optimistic outlook on the future market, showing a clear attitude of supporting prices.

[SMM Ferrochrome Daily Review: Chromium Market Remained Stable in the First Week After the Holiday, Trading Activity Was Moderate] February 27, 2026: Today, the ex-factory price of high-carbon ferrochrome in Inner Mongolia remained unchanged MoM from the previous trading day.

In industrial production, high-carbon ferrochrome, as a key alloy additive, has a wide range of applications. However, China's ferrochrome market is relatively passive: on the upstream side, it is restricted by scarce chromite resources, with an external dependence of over 99.8%; on the downstream side, approximately 90% of high-carbon ferrochrome flows into the stainless steel sector, among which more than 80% is settled through long-term contracts, guided by the bidding prices of mainstream steel mills. Meanwhile, in recent years, the high-carbon ferrochrome industry has been plagued by severe overcapacity, leading to increasingly fierce market competition and significantly greater price fluctuations. Against this backdrop, after long-term accumulation and in-depth market research, SMM officially launched the High-Carbon Ferrochrome Steel Bidding Price Expectation Index. This index aims to more truly and effectively reflect the current market dynamics of the chrome market, predict market price expectations in advance, and reduce transaction risks and costs.

[SMM Daily Review: Chrome Ore Prices Continue to Fall, Awaiting Steel Tender Release] June 18, 2025: Today, the ex-factory price of high-carbon ferrochrome in Inner Mongolia region was 7,700-7,900 yuan/mt (50% metal content), unchanged from the previous trading day...