China is expected to overtake South Africa to become the largest producer of ferrochrome in the world in 2013 given forecasts for high levels of Chinese chrome ore imports, a senior official at Turkish ferrochrome producer Eti Krom, a subsidiary of Yildirim Holding, has predicted, as reported by international media sources.
Cengiz Onal, sales manager at Eti Krom, stated that China has no domestic chrome ore reserves, but rapid expansions of smelting capacity in China and cost pressures on South African ferrochrome producers will result in an increase in China's share of global output next year as it continues to import huge volumes of chrome ore.
"South Africa will keep exporting ore, China will keep investing in ferrochrome smelting, and so China will become the world's largest ferrochrome producer," Mr. Onal said. He predicted that in 2013 Chinese ferrochrome output will account for 35 percent of global production against 33 percent for South Africa.