South Africa Jan chrome ore exports dip despite China's firm appetite

South Africa's total exports of chrome ore reached 2.13 million tonnes in the first month of 2026, edging down 5.3% from December's multi-month high but surging 54.4% compared to the same month last year, data from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) show.

Mysteel Global learned that the on-month decline was related to logistics disruptions that caused severe vessel backlogs at major shipping hubs including Richards Bay on South Africa's east coast and Maputo port in neighboring Mozambique. Average port stays lengthened to 12 days from the typical seven, significantly slowing loading