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Commoditychromium

Critical · 2 lists

Chromium · Cr

base_metal · primary

USGS_2022

USGS_2025

Bottom line

Chromium sits on 2 federal critical-minerals lists; mine supply is concentrated (HHI 0.25, 2023), led by 🇿🇦 South Africa at 44% of output. The US is 79% net import-reliant (2025). Prices fell 12% over the past year (+10%/yr over 4y).

At a glance

Headline indicators

Price · 2025

290dollars per metric ton

USGS MCS (Chromite ore (gross weight), d)

Price trend

-12% 1Y

+10%/yr · 4Y CAGR

US net import reliance · 2025

79%

Mine production HHI

0.25

Concentrated · 2023

From ore to use

lifecycle flow

01Reserves
540.0Mt
South Africa leads · 20% share
02Production
50.9Mt
South Africa top · 2025
03Trade
380.0Kt
net importer · 2025
04Stocks
5.0Kt
year-end · 2025
05Consumption
360.0Kt
Consumption (includes recycling): Reported · 2025

Coverage

Data coverage notes

datedMaterial-flow analysis is historical - All 1254 material-flow records date to 2005 or earlier (Yale STAF era). They describe the anthropogenic cycle of that period, not today's system.
datedEnvironmental footprint is dated - Cradle-to-gate intensity rows carry a 2008 inventory vintage (Nuss & Eckelman-era LCA). Current-process footprints are not yet in scope.
datedExport-restriction inventory ends 2020 - The OECD industrial-raw-materials inventory (vendored snapshot) reports HS-line measures only through 2020; restrictions enacted since are not reflected in the measure table.
narrowConsumption geography is single-economy (United States) - Reported consumption covers one economy only - the world usage split must be read from trade flows, not from a consumption table.

Provenance

Where this data comes from

Methodology

How strata reads a commodity

The eight-stage lens, the observed-vs-estimated membrane, stage-honest supply, per-stage concentration, ownership resolution and the demand lens - the full method is illustrated live on copper, nickel and lithium.

Read the methodology, illustrated live →

BGS World Mineral Statistics
ICDA ferrochrome + chrome-ore production by region (chromium)
strata midstream/components census
midstream_components_seed
Minerals Council South Africa 'Facts and Figures' Datasheets XLSX (free public download) - archived via `strata mcsa-facts pull`; the Manganese + Chrome sheets parse to South Africa saleable-ore production, total-sales and export-sales SupplyRecords (2013-2024, DMPR + SARS national series). SA is the world's #1 producer of both manganese ore and chromite. All tonnages are GROSS saleable ore, never contained metal.
NI 43-101 / AIF deposit economics (tungsten + tin)
ni43101_deposits
strata ownership-control seed
ownership_control_seed
USGS DS-140 (constant 1998 USD)
USGS DS-140 (nominal)
USGS MCS (Chromite ore (gross weight), d)
USGS MCS (Chromium metal (gross weight),)
USGS MCS (Ferrochromium (chromium conten)
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries World Data (legacy wide format, 2023-2025 vintages)
USGS Minerals Yearbook OFR 2025-1047
USGS Minerals Yearbook Vol III, reference year 2019
usgs myb1 chromium 2022
usgs myb1 chromium 2023
USGS ARDF
USGS Critical-Mineral Deposits
usgs_critmin_deposits_v2
USGS Deposit-Type Grade & Tonnage (Ni-Co laterite, podiform chromite)
usgs_deposit_gt
USGS MRDS deposits
usgs_mrds_2016
USGS USMIN Critical Deposits
usmin_critical_deposits

22 sources · titles open the source card · url opens the publisher