Ferroalloys: World Production, By Country Or Locality And Alloy Type

This table presents detailed global production data of various ferroalloys by country or locality and alloy type over the period from 2018 to 2022. Ferroalloys, which include ferrochromium, ferromanganese, ferronickel, ferrosilicon, and others, are essential materials used primarily in steelmaking and alloy production. Tracking production volumes by country and alloy type is crucial for understanding supply dynamics, market trends, and the economic health of the metallurgical and manufacturing industries worldwide. These data inform policymakers, industry stakeholders, and analysts about the global distribution of ferroalloy production capacity, helping to anticipate shifts in trade, pricing, and resource allocation.

Analysis of the data reveals that China remains the dominant producer of ferroalloys, with total production reaching an estimated 32.4 million metric tons in 2022, down slightly from 33.0 million tons in 2021 but still significantly higher than previous years. Notably, China's ferrochromium production increased to 6.4 million tons in 2022, up from 5.9 million tons in 2021, while silicomanganese production declined to 10.0 million tons from 10.7 million tons. Indonesia showed remarkable growth, with total ferroalloy production rising from 6.5 million tons in 2021 to 8.6 million tons in 2022, driven largely by a surge in ferronickel and nickel pig iron output reaching 8.1 million tons. South Africa also experienced a production increase, with total output climbing to approximately 4.2 million tons in 2022, recovering from a dip in 2021. Conversely, Ukraine's ferroalloy production sharply declined to 576,600 tons in 2022 from 912,600 tons in 2021, reflecting geopolitical disruptions. Other notable producers include Brazil, maintaining over 1.2 million tons in total production, and India, which saw a substantial increase to 4.7 million tons in 2022 from 4.4 million tons in 2021, largely due to growth in silicomanganese output. Overall, global ferroalloy production reached about 62.9 million tons in 2022, continuing an upward trend despite regional fluctuations.

TABLE 8
FERROALLOYS: WORLD PRODUCTION, BY COUNTRY OR LOCALITY AND ALLOY TYPE1, 2

(Metric tons, gross weight)

Country or locality	2018		2019		2020		2021		2022
Albania, ferrochromium	92850		66402		53543		103700		80194
Argentina, ferrosilicone	13000		13000		11200		13000		12500
Armenia, ferromolybdenum	7292		7712		6718		8335	r	9164
Australia:3
Ferromanganese	148300		114000		84000	r	91000	r	124000
Silicomanganese	112900		95000		102000	r	100000	r	95000
Total	261200		209000		186000	r	191000	r	219000
Austria:e
Ferromolybdenum	2400		2400		1800		2200		1500
Ferronickel	2500		2500		2300		1800		1800
Ferrovanadium	3850		3850		3500		3500		3500
Other, unspecified	1000	r	--	r	--	r	--	r	--	r
Total	9750	r	8750	r	7600	r	7500	r	6800
Bhutan, ferrosilicon⁴	120431		138651		103488		130103	r	115718
Bosnia and Herzegovina, ferrosilicone	10000		5000		2000		5000		5000
Brazil:
Ferrochromium⁵	175061		136780		254346		213756		205371
Ferromanganese³	136000		120000		85000		80000		73000
Ferronickel	236841		225688	r	293580	r	342367	r	360616
Ferroniobiume, 6	90100		91600		89000		102000	r	96200
Ferrosilicone	221000	r	270000		320000		300000		290000
Silicomanganese³	228690		216000		206000		203000		205000
Total	1087692		1060068	r	1247926	r	1241123	r	1230187
Burma, ferronickele	61000		59800		70500		45200		24100
Canada:
Ferroniobiume, 6	11300	r	10100	r	9500		11300	r	10100
Ferrosilicone	36000		37000		34000		30000		30000
Ferrovanadiume	1000		1000		1000		1000		1000
Total	48300	r	48100	r	44500		42300	r	41100
China:
Ferrochromium	5280000		6030000		5700000	e	5900000	e	6400000	e
Ferromanganese:e
Blast furnace	270000		290000		281000	r	294000	r	295000
Electric furnace	1660000		1770000		1730000	r	1810000	r	1809000
Ferromolybdenum	144000		144000		166000		194400	r	160000	e
Ferronickel equivalent, nickel pig irone, 7	2400000		3100000	r	2600000		2200000		2000000
Ferrosilicon	5450000		5490000		5320000		5860000	e	5800000	e
Ferrovanadium	40500		43600		40900		41000	e	40000	e
Silicomanganese	9450000		12600000		11380000		10650000		10010000
Other, unspecifiede	5700000		6600000		6400000		6100000	r	5900000
Total	30394500		36067600	r	33617900	r	33049400	r	32414000
Colombia, ferronickele	148000		140000		124000		132000		144000
Dominican Republic, ferronickel	53697		78661		59210		75888		78887
Egypt:
Ferromanganese³	13000		12000		6000	r	9000		6000
Ferrosilicone, 8	60500		60500		60000		60000		60000
Total	73500		72500		66000	r	69000		66000
Finland, ferrochromium	492774		505000		498000		515000		430000
France:
Ferromanganese³	125383		115000		69000	r	108000		120000
Ferrosilicone	50000		48000		41000		44000		38000
Silicomanganese³	56652		68000		63000	r	69000	r	46000
Total	232035		231000		173000	r	221000	r	204000
Gabon, silicomanganese³	42900		43000		38000	r	44000		43000
Georgia, silicomanganese	335000		291600		217500		356300	r	397700
Germany:
Ferrochromium	30927	r	25515	r	16409	r	23252	r	26624
Other, unspecifiede	8200		7800		3700		5300	r	5900
Total	39127	r	33315	r	20109	r	28552	r	32524
Greece, ferronickel	82600	e	60187		29263		20000	e	19393
Guatemala, ferronickele	44500		61600		69400		61000		54500
Iceland, ferrosilicon	116889		120255		128187		123800	r	121509
India:
Ferroaluminum	3221		1962		1101		1278		851
Ferrochromium	944000		930000		826000		1090000		1100000	e
Ferromanganese³	537000		542000		567000	r	943000	r	965000
Ferromolybdenum	1086		631		403		442		400	e
Ferrosilicomagnesium	18436		15445		9652		15536		16789
Ferrosilicon	90000		93000	e	90000	e	90000	e	90000	e
Ferrotitanium	125		92		115		457		378
Ferrovanadium	1150		587		662		779		800	e
Silicomanganese³	2133000		1889000		1770000		2276000		2568000
Total	3728018		3472717		3264933	r	4417492	r	4742218
Indonesia:
Ferrochromium	190000		190000		230000		252000		388000
Ferronickele	124000		129000		130000		129000		122000
Ferronickel, nickel pig irone	2100000		3200000		4300000	r	6100000	r	8100000
Silicomanganese³	9000		22000		61000		33000	r	24000
Total	2423000		3541000		4721000	r	6514000	r	8634000
Iran, ferrochromium	13000		12000		10000	e	17000	r	15000	e
Japan:
Ferrochromiume	15000		13000		9900		11000		12000
Ferromanganese	456518		462740		400331		440173		405899
Ferromolybdenum	3122		3043		2844		2800	e	2800	e
Ferronickel	339844		337790		234505		243275	e	193467	e
Ferrovanadiume	4520		4440	r	3450		4400		4500
Silicomanganese³	21100		31000		16000	r	14000		17000
Other, unspecifiede	29000	r	14000	r	17000	r	22000	r	24000
Total	869104	r	866013	r	684030	r	737648	r	659666
Kazakhstan:
Ferrochromium	1740000	e	1858130		1841309		1704561		1658378
Ferrosilicon	65405		79930		180645		148023	r	148000	e
Ferrosilicon-chromium	110000	e	113980		69877		85335		97000	e
Silicomanganese	137710		123464		122743		132119		196000	e
Other, unspecified	46		263		78		--		--	e
Total	2053161		2175767		2214652		2070038	r	2099378
Korea, North, ferrosilicone	42000	r	46000	r	16000	r	37000	r	36000
Korea, Republic of:
Ferromanganese	374000	3	317478		258787		407516		328000	3
Ferronickel	228000		230000		228000		220000	r	218000
Ferrosilicone	30000		30000		29000		30000		29000
Silicomanganese	164000		137852		149196		146289		126000	3
Total	796000		715330		664983		803805	r	701000
Kosovo, ferronickel	28500	e	30000	e	25000	e	23000	e	--
Malaysia:
Ferromanganese³	315000		266000		215000		174000	r	250000
Ferrosilicon	220515		230735		167443		131059		140355
Silicomanganese³	283414		312000		302000	r	336000	r	328000
Total	818929		808735		684443	r	641059	r	718355
Mexico:3
Ferromanganese	95468		73000		58000	r	72000		73000
Silicomanganese	152000		154000		148000		171000		176000
Total	247468		227000		206000	r	243000		249000
New Caledonia, ferronickel	260206		247746		236421		205108		223013
North Macedonia:
Ferronickele	45900		83000		98600		98400		46400
Ferrosilicon	--		117		--	e	--	e	--	e
Total	45900		83117		98600		98400		46400
Norway:
Ferromanganese³	327600		337000		278000	r	303000		278000
Ferrosilicone	350000		350000		320000		330000		300000
Silicomanganese³	330000		287000		262000		307000		343000
Total	1007600		974000		860000	r	940000		921000
Oman, ferrochromium	70000		84938		23500		82250		84250
Paraguay, ferrosilicone	8000		10000		10000		9000		8700
Poland:
Ferrosilicon	63618		65523		61709	r	73370	r	73000	e
Other, unspecified	33250		16815		38104	r	31000	r, e	30000	e
Total	96868		82338		99813	r	104370	r	103000	e
Russia:
Ferrochromium	332261		384089		342622		350000	e	300000	e
Ferromanganese	281000		273000		238000		209000	r, 3	203000	3
Ferromolybdenum	3066		4652		2500		2400		4000	e
Ferroniobiume, 6	440		610		560		530		550
Ferrophosphoruse	1500		1500		750		400		300
Ferrosilicon	928797		846579		880401		880000	r	880000	e
Ferrosilicon-chromium	75000	e	79259		59912		60000	e	30000	e
Ferrotitanium	9000		10000	e	10000	e	11000	e	1000	e
Ferrovanadium	11383		10894		9084		9100	e	8500	e
Silicomanganese	43334		51774		--		406000	r, e, 3	455000	3
Other, unspecifiede	7000		7000		7000		4000		1000
Total	1692781	r	1669357	r	1550829	r	1932430	r	1883350
Saudi Arabia:3
Ferromanganese	15000		12000		9000	r	9000	r	9000
Silicomanganese	70000		63000		35000		48000	r	40000
Total	85000		75000		44000	r	57000	r	49000
Slovakia:
Ferromanganese	32364		46513		24046		30929		13000	3
Ferrosilicon	50392		38060		37372		41811	r	12000	e
Silicomanganese	37225		26187		33812		48590		4000	3
Total	119981		110760		95230		121330	r	29000
South Africa:
Ferrochromium	3515945		3247609		2404088		3700000	e	3900000	e
Ferromanganese³	235600		232000		122000		103000	r	89000
Ferrosilicon	98000	e	90000	r	51000	e	55000	e	60000	e
Ferrovanadiume	6800		6800		6600		6900		6900
Silicomanganese³	164200		172000		109000	r	151000		134000
Total	4020545		3748409	r	2692688	r	4015900	r	4189900
Spain:
Ferromanganese³	86200		55500		28000		48000		22000
Ferrosilicone	95000		90000		77000		83000		71000
Silicomanganese³	156100		98400		84000	r	78000	r	53000
Total	337300		243900		189000	r	209000	r	146000
Sweden, ferrochromium	101370		118198		87000		114600		114600
Turkey:
Ferrochromium	91799		81743		94200		100750		98813
Ferrosilicon	3160	9	1938	9	1706	9	455	9	--
Total	94959		83681		95906		101205		98813
Ukraine:
Ferromanganese	79480		151090		122960		100600		22000	3
Ferronickel	79537		74400		73700		61700	e	44700	e
Ferrosilicon	97084		62560		60800		87600	r	43000	e
Silicomanganese	859640		804680		559880		662700		466000	3
Other, unspecified	13150		20670		13605		--	r, e	900	e
Total	1128891		1113400		830945		912600	r	576600
United States:10
Bulk ferroalloys	408000		412000		328000		440000		398000
Noble ferroalloyse	1300	r	3500	r	7400	r	2200	r	3100
Total	409000		416000	r	336000		442000	r	401000
Zimbabwe, ferrochromium	365000		312000		134000		307000		395000
Grand total¹⁰	54600000	r	60600000	r	56600000	r	61600000	r	62900000
Of which:
Ferroaluminum	3220		1960		1100		1280		851
Ferrochromium	13400000	r	14000000		12500000		14500000		15200000
Ferromanganese	5190000		5190000		4580000	r	5230000	r	5080000
Ferromolybdenum	161000	r	162000	r	180000	r	211000	r	178000
Ferronickel	1740000		1760000	r	1670000	r	1660000	r	1530000
Ferronickel, nickel pig irone	4500000		6300000	r	6900000	r	8300000	r	10100000
Ferroniobiume	102000		102000		99100		114000	r	107000
Ferrophosphoruse	1500		1500		750		400		300
Ferrosilicomagnesium	18400		15400		9650		15500		16800
Ferrosilicon	8220000	r	8220000	r	8000000	r	8560000	r	8360000
Ferrosilicon-chromium	185000		193000		130000		145000		127000
Ferrotitanium	9130		10100		10100		11500		1380
Ferrovanadium	69200	r	71200	r	65200	r	66700	r	65200
Silicomanganese	14800000		17500000		15700000		16200000	r	15700000
Other, unspecified	6200000	r	7080000	r	6820000	r	6600000	r	6360000

^eEstimated. ^rRevised. -- Zero.

¹Table includes data available through June 27, 2024. All data are reported unless otherwise noted; totals may include estimated data. Grand totals, U.S. data, and estimated data are rounded to no more than three significant digits; may not add to totals shown.

²Ferroalloys may have been produced in other countries and (or) localities, but information was inadequate to make reliable estimates of output.

³Reported by the International Manganese Institute.

⁴Total of imports received by all countries from Bhutan. Source: UN Comtrade.

⁵Includes high- and low-carbon ferrochromium and ferrosilicon-chromium.

⁶Reported by countries in Nb content and converted to gross weight assuming 65% Nb.

⁷China's nickel pig iron is estimated to have a nickel content of 4% based on reported data. Because most ferronickel produced globally contains more than 15% nickel, China's production has been scaled using a nickel content of 20% in order to facilitate comparison with other ferronickel-producing countries and (or) localities.

⁸Production is based on fiscal year, with a starting date of July 1.

⁹Imports received to all countries from Turkey. Source: UN Comtrade.

¹⁰Data for the United States are included in the ‟Other, unspecified” category and ‟Grand totalˮ only. These data are not included in any commodity-specific subtotals.