Demonstration dataListings, lots and offers shown are samplesAbout sample data
Reference specimen · Darla Sondrol, CC0
Tech & industrial metals
Sample dataChromite ore is smelted into ferrochrome, which makes stainless steel stainless. South Africa's Bushveld Complex holds more than 80% of the world's chromite reserves and is the dominant exporter of chrome ore, mostly to China. A large share comes as UG2 chrome concentrate recovered from platinum-mine tailings. Zimbabwe's Great Dyke is the #2 African source, and Zimbabwe bans raw chrome ore exports to force local ferrochrome smelting.
Controlled supply
This mineral is subject to export quota / ban applies. Offers are published only after ARAM has reviewed the supporting documents, and some details are visible to verified companies only.
Verified companies only
Volumes, origins and terms are shown to verified companies. Availability for everyone else: Spot + Contract (ferrochrome only from Zimbabwe). Verify your company or submit a request.
Metallurgical chrome ore
Unit: t · HS 2610.00
lumpy, chip and fines (e.g. LG6 ~40–44% Cr2O3)
UG2 chrome concentrate
Unit: t · HS 7202.41
~40–42% Cr2O3 from PGM tailings; low Cr:Fe ratio (~1.3–1.4) — the main South African export
Zimbabwe chrome concentrate
Unit: t · HS 7202.49
48–50% Cr2O3, higher Cr:Fe
Chemical and foundry grade chromite sand (≥46% Cr2O3, low SiO2)
Unit: t
Ferrochrome
Unit: t
high-carbon/charge chrome (50–55% Cr)
ARAM sourcing assessment
High-volume, established trade with many mid-tier sellers — a good early revenue line. Listing status: Spot + Contract (South Africa); ferrochrome only from Zimbabwe.
South Africa
Glencore-Merafe venture, Samancor Chrome, Assmang, African Rainbow Minerals, Tharisa, Sibanye/Valterra UG2 by-product streams; many smaller operators
Zimbabwe
Great Dyke — Zimasco, Afrochine, many small-scale claim holders; 14 ferrochrome smelters (433 kt FeCr in 2025)
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — African rows of the world production & reserves table
World Mine Production and Reserves:12 Significant revisions were made to the 2024 production for India, South Africa 22,900 23,000 350,000 110,000 Zimbabwe 1,600 2,000 140,000 78,000 World total (rounded) 49,600 51,000 >1,200,000 >540,000
| Year | Country | HS | Value | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | South Africa | 2610 | $4.67bn | 20.56 Mt |
| 2023 | South Africa | 720241 | $4.23bn | 4.04 Mt |
| 2023 | South Africa | 2610 | $3.94bn | 17.79 Mt |
| 2024 | South Africa | 720241 | $3.75bn | 3.60 Mt |
| 2023 | Zimbabwe | 720241 | $384.0m | 403.2 kt |
| 2024 | Zimbabwe | 720241 | $334.3m | 361.9 kt |
| 2024 | Zimbabwe | 2610 | $156.8m | 954.8 kt |
| 2023 | Zimbabwe | 2610 | $87.0m | 714.3 kt |
Mirror data fills gaps where exporters report late or incompletely.
| Year | Buyer | Origin | HS | Value | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | China | South Africa | 2610 | $4.72bn | 17.00 Mt |
| 2023 | China | South Africa | 2610 | $4.01bn | 14.88 Mt |
| 2023 | China | South Africa | 720241 | $2.07bn | 1.89 Mt |
| 2024 | China | South Africa | 720241 | $1.90bn | 1.82 Mt |
| 2024 | China | Zimbabwe | 2610 | $409.5m | 1.29 Mt |
| 2024 | China | Zimbabwe | 720241 | $387.8m | 340.1 kt |
| 2023 | Rep. of Korea | South Africa | 720241 | $247.9m | 199.6 kt |
| 2023 | China | Zimbabwe | 720241 | $240.4m | 203.2 kt |
| 2023 | Japan | South Africa | 720241 | $238.8m | 191.2 kt |
| 2023 | China | Zimbabwe | 2610 | $221.8m | 682.5 kt |
| 2024 | Rep. of Korea | South Africa | 720241 | $204.6m | 177.3 kt |
| 2024 | USA | South Africa | 720241 | $200.6m | 177.9 kt |
Source: UN Comtrade (public data). Values in US$.
Minerals trade on formula prices: a published benchmark × metal content × payable percentage, less treatment charges and impurity penalties, settled on independent assay. Payment is typically by documentary letter of credit, with 90–95% provisional payment against shipping documents and the balance on final assay.
Request terms for Chrome (Chromite)Zimbabwe
Export ban
raw chrome ore export ban (and planned extension to concentrate); ferrochrome exports allowed
Primary source
South Africa
Levy / tax
reported Cabinet approval of chrome ore export restrictions/levy to support local smelters — confirm status
Reported — verify before relying on it
Cross-border
Levy / tax
Royalties and export permits
Primary source
UG2 chrome concentrate (from PGM tailings via chrome recovery plants) ~40–42% Cr2O3; Zimbabwe concentrate 48–50% Cr2O3 (SMM CIF assessment). Bushveld hosts >80% of global chromite reserves. Reported: South African Cabinet approved chrome ore export restrictions; Zimbabwe bans raw chrome ore exports and plans to extend to concentrate; Zimbabwe ferrochrome 433 kt in 2025 (+19%).
Source 1 · metal.comSource 2 · opis.comSource 3 · opis.comSource 4 · icdacr.comSource 5 · miningzimbabwe.com
Research compiled September 2026 from USGS, UN Comtrade, producer and regulator publications. Facts marked “reported” come from secondary sources and should be confirmed before contracting.
On the ground · Chrome (Chromite)
The mines and districts that define supply, with their operators. They are shown for geographic context: third-party operations, not ARAM sites, and not the source of any particular lot. Ownership and status as publicly reported in 2026.
Mining districtSouth Africa
Operated by Valterra Platinum, Impala Platinum, Sibanye-Stillwater and others
The heart of South African platinum mining on the Bushveld Complex, which also yields chrome (UG2) and vanadium.
Photo: Bruce Paulmac · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mining districtZimbabwe
Operated by Zimplats, Mimosa, Unki and small-scale chrome miners
A 550 km layered intrusion across Zimbabwe hosting platinum-group metals and high-grade chromite.
Photo: NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team · Public domainDarla Sondrol, CC0
Darla Sondrol, CC0
Weinrich Minerals, Inc., Public domain
Darla Sondrol, CC0
Reference specimens of the ore minerals and products, from public collections. They illustrate the material, not a specific ARAM lot or source.
#08Precious
The platinum-group metals are platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium. They are used in autocatalysts, hydrogen electrolysers and fuel cells, glass, electronics, chemicals, jewellery and investment. South Africa's Bushveld Complex holds most of the world's PGM reserves and produces about 70% of its platinum and more than 80% of its rhodium. Zimbabwe's Great Dyke is the #3 platinum source. The industry is dominated by a few integrated miners that smelt and refine in South Africa.
Tech & industrial metals
About 90% of vanadium is used to strengthen steel (ferrovanadium in rebar and high-strength low-alloy steel). The rest goes into titanium alloys for aerospace and into electrolyte for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB), which store grid-scale energy. South Africa's Bushveld titanomagnetite is one of the four big sources, with China, Russia and Brazil. Several South African plants have closed or cut output, so supply is concentrated.
#07Tech & industrial metals
Germanium is a minor metal used in fibre optics, infrared optics (night vision, thermal imaging for defence), satellite solar cells and semiconductors. China dominates supply and has restricted exports since August 2023, tightening further in 2024. The DRC's Big Hill tailings in Lubumbashi, historic slag and tailings from Gécamines' zinc-copper operations, are now one of the very few new non-Chinese sources: STL processes them and Umicore refines the concentrate in Belgium.
Tech & industrial metals
Titanium minerals come from heavy-mineral beach and dune sands. Ilmenite and rutile feed titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment, the white in paint, plastics and paper, which takes about 90% of demand. They also feed titanium metal for aerospace and medical uses, and welding-rod coatings. Africa is a major producer: Mozambique (Moma), South Africa (Richards Bay), Senegal (Grande Côte), Kenya (Kwale), Madagascar (QMM) and Sierra Leone, home of Sierra Rutile, one of the world's largest natural rutile deposits.