- High-carbon prices slip, medium-carbon rise
- New energy sector drives LC FeCr demand
High-carbon ferro chrome prices dropped slightly by RMB 100/t (14/t) w-o-w at RMB 8,390-8,800/t ($1,178-1,236/t) exw, including taxes.
Medium-carbon ferro chrome prices inched up by RMB 300/t ($42/t) w-o-w to RMB 14,100 -14,300/t ($1,980-2,009/t) exw, including taxes.
CBC: Ferro chrome prices experienced mixed movements over the week, backed by stable coke and auxiliary material costs. Demand for high-carbon grades remained firm, while medium-carbon grades softened amid production cuts, and low-carbon usage in the new energy sector rose significantly.
Market recap:
Coke costs stable, limited market impact: Chrome ore prices eased slightly, though supply-side uncertainties from South Africa’s power crisis and strikes at Turkish ports continued to lend support. The coke market remained balanced with limited cost fluctuations, and its impact on the ferro chrome market stayed weak.
Prices of auxiliary materials, including ferro silicon and lime, were stable, keeping overall ferro chrome production costs largely unchanged.
End-user demand remains firm: Stainless steel producers maintained firm demand for high-carbon ferro chrome, while production cut measures curbed demand for medium-carbon grades. The downstream industry remained cautious in procurement, with ferro chrome transactions primarily driven by essential demand.
The new energy sector remained a bright spot, as low-carbon ferro chrome consumption in photovoltaic brackets and energy storage equipment rose sharply year-on-year. However, due to the concentrated of orders in this segment,constrained broad market growth.
Outlook
Ferro chrome prices are likely to remain range-bound in the near term, supported by cost factors, as market attention focuses on downstream demand, policy changes, and overseas supply uncertainties.
Leave a Reply