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This table presents estimated global production capacities for chromite ore, ferrochromium, chromium metal, and chromium chemicals, alongside stainless steel production and chromium consumption figures for selected countries in 2023. These data are critical for understanding the supply chain dynamics of chromium, a key industrial metal used primarily in stainless steel manufacturing and various chemical applications. Tracking production capacity and consumption helps identify trends in resource availability, industrial demand, and potential supply risks, which are essential for economic planning, trade policy, and investment decisions in the metals and manufacturing sectors.
Analysis of the data reveals that South Africa leads in chromite ore production capacity with 29 million metric tons, followed by Turkey at 14 million tons and India at 6 million tons. China dominates ferrochromium production capacity at 12 million metric tons and stainless steel production with 8.3 million metric tons, reflecting its central role in the global chromium market. Notably, Turkey’s chromium consumption remains high at 2 million metric tons in 2023, despite a slight revision downward from 2.1 million in 2022. India’s consumption rebounded to 840 thousand metric tons after a dip in 2022, indicating growing industrial demand. Conversely, countries like Belgium and Japan show declining chromium consumption trends, with Belgium dropping from 200 thousand metric tons in 2021 to 130 thousand in 2023, and Japan decreasing from 400 thousand to 330 thousand metric tons over the same period. These shifts highlight evolving regional industrial activities and potential changes in global chromium trade flows.
| TABLE 6 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ESTIMATED WORLD PRODUCTION CAPACITY (CHROMITE ORE, FERROCHROMIUM, CHROMIUM METAL, | |||||||||||||||||||
| CHROMIUM CHEMICALS, AND STAINLESS STEEL) AND CONSUMPTION FOR SELECTED COUNTRIES1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| (Thousand metric tons, chromium content, unless otherwise specified) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Production capacity in 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ferro- | Stainless | Chromium consumption2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Country or locality | Ore3 | chromium3 | Metal | Chemicals4 | steel5 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||||||
| Afghanistan | 57 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 16 | r | 12 | ||||||||||
| Albania | 1700 | 150 | -- | -- | -- | 54 | 110 | r | 170 | ||||||||||
| Austria | -- | -- | -- | -- | 20 | 24 | 23 | 22 | |||||||||||
| Belgium | -- | -- | -- | -- | 260 | 200 | 160 | 130 | |||||||||||
| Brazil | 1700 | 300 | -- | -- | 80 | 420 | 420 | r | 410 | ||||||||||
| Canada | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 24 | 21 | 16 | |||||||||||
| China | 200 | 12000 | 61 | 350 | 8300 | 6100 | 5900 | 7500 | |||||||||||
| Finland | 2800 | 530 | -- | -- | 280 | 540 | 480 | 470 | |||||||||||
| France | -- | -- | 12 | -- | 70 | 36 | 18 | 22 | |||||||||||
| Germany | -- | 36 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 130 | 120 | 98 | |||||||||||
| Greece | 40 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| India | 6000 | 2000 | -- | 56 | 940 | 970 | r | 730 | r | 840 | |||||||||
| Indonesia | -- | 600 | -- | -- | 970 | 1000 | 1100 | 760 | |||||||||||
| Iran | 200 | 200 | -- | 2 | -- | 11 | r | 31 | r | 29 | |||||||||
| Italy | -- | -- | -- | 8 | 300 | -- | 4 | -- | |||||||||||
| Japan | -- | 25 | 3 | 11 | 590 | 400 | 370 | r | 330 | ||||||||||
| Kazakhstan | 8500 | 2400 | -- | 60 | -- | 1100 | 1000 | r | 1200 | ||||||||||
| Korea, Republic of | -- | -- | -- | -- | 500 | 320 | 250 | 260 | |||||||||||
| Kosovo | 70 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 1 | r | -- | ||||||||||
| Madagascar | 320 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | r | -- | ||||||||||
| Oman | 1800 | 125 | -- | -- | -- | 49 | r | 100 | r | 120 | |||||||||
| Pakistan | 580 | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |||||||||||
| Papua New Guinea | 150 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 30 | 31 | 31 | |||||||||||
| Philippines | 57 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 15 | r | -- | ||||||||||
| Poland | -- | -- | -- | 8 | -- | 10 | 13 | 12 | |||||||||||
| Russia | 1200 | 500 | 27 | 50 | 20 | 160 | 81 | r | 120 | ||||||||||
| Slovenia | -- | -- | -- | -- | 30 | 18 | 11 | 9 | |||||||||||
| South Africa | 29000 | 5500 | -- | 50 | 100 | -- | -- | -- | |||||||||||
| Spain | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 200 | 110 | 88 | 69 | |||||||||||
| Sudan | 120 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Sweden | -- | 250 | -- | -- | 130 | -- | 8 | r | 7 | ||||||||||
| Taiwan | -- | -- | -- | -- | 200 | 110 | 90 | 52 | |||||||||||
| Turkey | 14000 | 190 | -- | 70 | -- | 1700 | 2100 | r | 2000 | ||||||||||
| Ukraine | -- | -- | -- | -- | 15 | 12 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||
| United Arab Emirates | 240 | 58 | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 11 | r | 19 | ||||||||||
| United Kingdom | -- | -- | 10 | 4 | 70 | 21 | 45 | 22 | |||||||||||
| United States | -- | -- | -- | 48 | 500 | 340 | 290 | 220 | |||||||||||
| Zimbabwe | 2400 | 576 | -- | -- | -- | 46 | r | 140 | r | -- | |||||||||
| Total | 71100 | 25400 | 117 | 728 | 14000 | XX | XX | XX | |||||||||||
rRevised. XX Not applicable. -- Zero.
1Table includes data available through August 22, 2024. Data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown.
2Reported in chromium content. Apparent consumption was estimated based on chromite ore production reported by the U.S. Geological Survey and trade statistics for chromite ore, chromium metal, and ferrochromium as reported by Global Trade Tracker in July 2024 assuming that the average grade of chromite ore is 45% chromium oxide (Cr2O3); ferrochromium, 57% chromium; and chromium metal, 100% chromium.
3Reported in gross weight.
4Chromium content was calculated assuming chemicals were in the form of anhydrous sodium dichromate.
5Chromium content of stainless steel was calculated assuming an average grade of 17% chromium.
Source: United States Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program
See also: Chromium statistics | Mineral commodity prices