Chrome

Chrome, or chromium, is a hard, shiny, and corrosion-resistant metal primarily used in alloying and electroplating. It is extracted from chromite ore and is mainly produced in South Africa, Kazakhstan, and Turkey. Chrome is mainly used in stainless steel production and electroplating making it essential for industries that require durable and corrosion-resistant materials.

Sub-Category	Abbreviation	Core Content Range	Size Range
Charge Chrome	Charge Cr	Cr 50-55%	0-150 mm
Chrome Metal Briquettes	Cr Briqs	Cr 99.1-100%	5-80 mm
Chrome Metal Ingots	Cr Ingots	Various	n/a
Chrome Metal Lumps	Cr Metal	Cr 99-100%	1-200 mm
Chrome Ore		Various	n/a
Chrome Ore Sand		Cr2O3 46-100%	0-0.71 mm
Chrome Oxide Green	Cr Oxide Green	Cr2O3 98.5-99%	0.003-0.3 mm
Chromite Sand		Cr2O3 44-100%	n/a
High Carbon Ferrochrome	HCFeCr	Cr 50-70%	0-300 mm
Low Carbon Ferrochrome	LCFeCr	Cr 60-70%	3-500 mm
Medium Carbon Ferrochrome	MCFeCr	Cr 60-70%	1-200 mm
Nitrided Ferrochrome	NFeCr	Cr 60-75%	5-150 mm

Please note that the above listed sub-categories including its core content and size ranges are just a snapshot of Metalshub’s currently traded raw materials. We are adding new sub-categories on a monthly basis and would be happy to assess your specific requirements to this category.

Metalshub provides producers and consumers of chrome with a software solution to improve the way they buy or sell it. Our software connects over 2,000 companies in a joint trading network. This allows sellers to discover new buyers of chrome and buyers to discover new suppliers of chrome.

For buyers, Metalshub’s Procurement Solution allows steel mills, foundries, and other consumers to digitalise their procurement process in order to increase sourcing efficiency, ensure compliant buying, and take data-driven decisions. For sellers, Metalshub’s Sales Solution allows miners, traders, and other sellers to digitalise their sales process, manage inventory, and optimise their sales book.

Prices for chrome are available from multiple industry platforms:

1. Fastmarkets: Fastmarkets offers journalistic price assessments for ferro-chrome, including high-carbon and low-carbon grades. Their pricing covers key markets such as Europe, China, and the U.S., with insights into ferro-chrome market dynamics​ (Fastmarkets).
2. Shanghai Metals Market (SMM): SMM tracks journalistic chromium prices from the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE), providing updates on both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including chrome ​(Shanghai Metals Market).
3. Metalshub: For low carbon and high carbon ferrochrome as well as chrome metal lumps, robust transaction-based price data is made available by Metalshub.

Beyond these three examples, other providers may also provide prices.

The leading countries for chrome production are:

• South Africa – ~60% of global chromite production, the largest exporter of chrome ore
• Kazakhstan – ~15%, focusing on high-grade chrome for alloying and steel production
• Turkey – ~10%, a key supplier of chromite ore for European industries
• India – ~<10%, with growing production for domestic and international markets
• Zimbabwe – ~5%, emerging as a chrome supplier for global markets

Some of the key producers of chrome include:

• Glencore (Switzerland) – ~15% of global chrome production, a leading supplier to the alloy industry
• Samancor Chrome (South Africa) – ~<15%, one of the largest integrated chrome producers
• Eurasian Resources Group (Kazakhstan) – ~10%, a major player in high-carbon ferrochrome
• Yildirim Group (Turkey) – ~<10%, a significant producer of chromite ore and ferrochrome
• Zimasco (Zimbabwe) – ~5%, a key supplier to the global chrome market

Chrome is extracted from chromite ore through both underground and open-pit mining. The ore is then crushed and processed to extract chromium, which is further refined into ferrochrome. High-carbon ferrochrome is produced by smelting chromite in a furnace, while low-carbon ferrochrome is refined further to reduce carbon content. Chrome metal is also produced for electroplating and alloying purposes.

Chrome is primarily used in stainless steel production (~85%), where it enhances corrosion resistance and strength. It is also used in electroplating (~10%) to provide a protective, shiny coating on metals. In alloy manufacturing (~5%), chrome is combined with other metals to create high-performance alloys used in aerospace and industrial applications.