Chromium: Movement

One sea route from South Africa to China

What this tab covers How it flows between countries: the largest bilateral trade routes drawn on a world map, 2024 UN Comtrade export and import values with the top exporters and importers by share, plus shipping routes, chokepoints and trade restrictions.

Chromium ores and concentrates (HS 2610) imports were worth $7.0 billion in 2024 (Comtrade). South Africa supplied 81.2% of exports and China took 85.3% of imports, a single dominant route by sea. Ferrochromium (HS 7202.41) is larger, at $8.7 billion of imports. South Africa led exports with 47.7% and Kazakhstan 24.4%; China took 50.5% of imports and Indonesia 12.5%. USGS flags possible South African export controls or tariffs on ore to favour local smelting. China taxed ferrochrome exports from 2006 (Humphreys).

Main trade routes, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Largest bilateral flows (width = value) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024, reported exports by the top four exporters of each traded form to their partners (US$). Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Hover a line or circle for values.

Chromium ore · HS 2610

World exports 2024 $5.75 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $7.00 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value South Africa 81.2% Turkey 7% Zimbabwe 2.7% Pakistan 2.2% Kazakhstan 2% Albania 1.2% Top importers, share of value China 85.3% Indonesia 9% India 1.1% Turkey 0.7% United States 0.6% Netherlands 0.5%

Ferrochrome · HS 720241

World exports 2024 $7.87 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $8.70 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value South Africa 47.7% Kazakhstan 24.4% India 8.2% Zimbabwe 4.2% China 3.7% Finland 3.3% Top importers, share of value China 50.5% Indonesia 12.5% Japan 8.8% United States 6.5% South Korea 5.7% Germany 2.2% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.