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Salient Chromium Statistics

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TABLE 1
SALIENT CHROMIUM STATISTICS 1
        2006   2007   2008   2009   2010
World, production, contained chromium:    
Chromite ore (mine)2   metric tons 6,080,000 7,030,000 r 7,390,000 r 6,000,000 r 7,290,000
Ferrochromium (smelter)3   do. 4,180,000 r 4,790,000 r 4,590,000 4,000,000 r 4,960,000
Stainless steel4   do. 4,820,000   4,730,000   4,410,000   4,180,000   5,300,000
U.S. supply:    
Components of U.S. supply, contained chromium:    
Domestic mines   do. -- -- -- -- --
Secondary5   do. 179,000 162,000 146,000 141,000 144,000
Imports:    
Chromite ore2   do. 53,800 46,400 64,300 23,000 43,900
Chromium chemicals   do. 12,100 10,600 18,000 10,600 5,120
Chromium ferroalloys   do. 265,000 259,000 307,000 140,000 305,000
Chromium metal   do. 10,900 11,700 13,100 7,570 13,000
Stainless steel mill products and scrap   do. 179,000 158,000 157,000 91,800 133,000
Stocks, January 1:    
Government   do. 375,000 253,000 6 115,000 155,000 7 129,000
Industry8   do. 8,520   9,620   9,940   7,290 6,820
Total-   do. 1,080,000   910,000   831,000   576,000   779,000
Distribution of U.S. supply, contained chromium:    
Exports:    
Chromite ore2   do. 17,400 12,000 2,280 743 1,390
Chromium chemicals   do. 16,700 21,000 22,600 13,500 21,600
Chromium ferroalloys and metal   do. 22,300 27,000 11,300 2,900 4,850
Stainless steel mill products and scrap   do. 156,000 231,000 250,000 263,000 246,000
Stocks, December 31:    
Government   do. 272,000 6 115,000 105,000 9 129,000 115,000
Industry8   do. 9,620   9,940   7,290   6,820 r 7,300
Total-   do. 493,000 416,000 399,000 416,000 396,000
Production, reported, chromium ferroalloy and metal net production10 W W W W --
Consumption:    
Apparent, contained chromium   do. 589,000 493,000 432,000 160,000 383,000
Reported:    
Chromite ore and concentrates, gross weight   do. W W W W W
Chromium ferroalloys:11    
Gross weight   do. 429,000 r 469,000 r 427,000 383,000 r 434,000
Contained chromium   do. 252,000 r 275,000 r 251,000 224,000 r 248,000
Chromium metal, gross weight   do. 6,160 5,410 4,740 4,190 r 4,540
Stocks, December 31, gross weight:    
Government:6    
Chromite ore   do. 1,160 -- -- -- --
Chromium ferroalloys   do. 373,000 155,000 140,000 9 175,000 154,000
Chromium metal   do. 5,290 r 4,970 4,820 4,670 4,670
Industry:    
Producer12   do. W W W W W
Consumer:    
Chromium ferroalloys13   do. 15,500 16,300 11,700 11,400 11,500
Chromium metal   do. 220 221 235 160 284
Other---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- do. 231 216 272 r 263 243
Prices, average annual:  
Chromite ore14-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   dollars per metric ton 119 244 346 159 r 208
Ferrochromium, chromium content15   dollars per pound 0.695 1.048 1.748 0.806 1.261
Electrolytic chromium metal, gross weight16   do. 4.50 NA NA NA NA
Aluminothermic chromium metal, gross weight17   do.   2.94   3.66   5.30   4.08   5.23
See footnote at end of table.
TABLE 1-Continued
SALIENT CHROMIUM STATISTICS 1
        2006   2007   2008   2009   2010
Value of trade:18    
Exports   thousands $121,000 $150,000 $149,000 $86,600 $131,000
Imports   do. $529,000 $699,000 $1,430,000 $444,000 $1,010,000
Net imports19   do.   $408,000   $548,000   $1,280,000   $358,000   $883,000
Stainless steel:    
Production:    
Gross weight20   metric tons 2,460,000 2,170,000 1,930,000 1,620,000 2,200,000
Contained chromium21   do. 419,000 360,000 324,000 276,000 383,000
Average grade, dimensionless22     0.1705 0.1656 0.1684 0.1703 0.1738
Shipments, gross weight23   do. 1,890,000 1,700,000 1,380,000 1,200,000 1,510,000
Exports, gross weight   do. 410,000 476,000 471,000 414,000 508,000
Imports, gross weight   do. 872,000 809,000 783,000 416,000 585,000
Scrap, gross weight:    
Receipts   do. 1,050,000 953,000 858,000 832,000 846,000
Consumption   do. 1,500,000 1,430,000 1,330,000 1,260,000 1,280,000
Exports   do. 506,000 882,000 1,000,000 1,130,000 937,000
Imports   do. 180,000   118,000   140,000   124,000   195,000
Value of trade:    
Exports   thousands $1,580,000 $2,110,000 $2,300,000 $1,450,000 $2,120,000
Imports   do. $3,210,000 $4,300,000 $4,040,000 $1,710,000 $2,400,000
Scrap exports   do. $716,000 $1,620,000 $1,190,000 $777,000 $936,000
Scrap imports   do. $209,000 $198,000 $217,000 $138,000 $305,000
Net exports19, 24   do.   -$1,130,000   -$770,000   -$773,000   $384,000   $346,000
rRevised. do. Ditto. NA Not available. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. -- Zero.
1Data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown.
2Calculated assuming chromite ore to average 44% Cr2O3, which is 68.42% chromium.
3Calculated assuming chromium content of ferrochromium to average 57% chromium.
4Calculated from American Iron and Steel Institute reported stainless steel production assuming chromium content of stainless steel to average 16.7% chromium.
5Calculated assuming chromium content of stainless steel to average 17% chromium.
6"Summary of Commodities" as reported by the Defense Logistics Agency, DLA Strategic Materials (formerly Defense National Stockpile Center) through 2006.--
"Inventory Material" as reported by DLA starting in 2007 except where noted otherwise.
7From January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2009, the DLA made an accounting adjustment to low-carbon ferrochromium stocks making them (the stocks for those-
months) incompatible for the purpose of computing stock change for that year. January stocks were estimated.
8Includes consumer stocks of chromium ferroalloys and metal and other chromium-containing materials.-
9From January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008, the DLA changed its high-carbon and low-carbon ferrochromium stocks accounting method making them (the stocks-
for those months) incompatible for the purpose of computing stock change for that year. December stocks were estimated based on monthly stock change excluding-
the accounting-change month.
10Includes chromium ferroalloys and metal and other chromium materials in the United States.
11Chromium ferroalloy, chromite ore, and other chromium-containing materials excluding chromium metal.
12Producer stocks of chromium ferroalloys and metal.
13Consumer stocks of high- and low-carbon ferrochromium and ferrochromium-silicon.
14Time-weighted average price of South African chromite ore that contains 44% Cr2O3 f.o.b. South Africa as reported in Ryan-s Notes in 2006. Annual average price-
of South African chromite ore that contains 44% Cr2O3 f.o.b. South Africa as reported by- Ryan-s Notes after 2006.
15Time-weighted average U.S. price of imported high-carbon ferrochromium that contains 50% to 55% chromium as reported in Platts Metals Week.--
16Time-weighted average U.S. price of domestically produced electrolytic chromium metal as reported by Ryan-s Notes.--
17Annual average U.S. price of imported aluminothermic chromium metal as reported by Ryan-s Notes.--
18Includes chromite ore and chromium ferroalloys, metal, and chemicals.
19Negative data indicate that imports are greater than exports.
20Source: American Iron and Steel Institute annual report of stainless and heat-resisting raw steel production and shipments.
21Estimated mass-weighted average of the mean chromium content of stainless steel production by grade. Uncertainty is approximately - 0.01, owing to the range-
of chromium chemical specification limits by stainless steel grade.
22Ratio of estimated mass-weighted average chromium content of stainless steel production by grade to production. Expressed as a fraction.--
Source: American Iron and Steel Institute quarterly reports of stainless and heat-resisting raw steel production by grade.
23Source: American Iron and Steel Institute annual report of stainless and heat-resisting raw steel shipments.
24Includes stainless steel and stainless steel scrap.