Chinese demand fuels 2025 surge in South Africa's chrome ore exports

South Africa's chrome ore exports experienced a significant upswing in 2025, with total shipments reaching 23.77 million tonnes, marking a 15.7% increase compared to the 20.55 million tonnes exported in the previous year, according to the latest data from the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

China remained the dominant destination, absorbing 12.55 million tonnes last year, higher by a substantial 24.2% year-on-year, the SARS data show. This robust growth is primarily attributed to the expansion of ferrochrome production capacity in China, coupled with widespread production halts at ferrochrome smelters within South Africa itself, which