Bulk Alloy Shipments to U.S. Surge in Second Quarter

Imports of bulk alloys to the United States surged in the second quarter, driven by weakened demand in China and increasing regulatory pressures domestically. According to the latest data from the U.S. Commerce Department, consolidated bulk alloy shipments—comprising high carbon ferro-chrome, silico-manganese, ferro-silicon, and high carbon ferro-manganese—rose by 47% to 345,970 metric tonnes compared to the same period last year.

The volume of ferro-chrome with over 4% carbon content saw a significant increase, with shipments from South Africa rising fivefold to 100,520 tonnes. However, this figure may be inflated due to the potential inclusion of charge chrome, sources cautioned.

Silico-manganese imports grew across the board, with South Africa leading the way at 25,868 tonnes, followed by Australia with 22,015 tonnes, and Georgia with 17,673 tonnes. In May and June, a federal probe and the possibility of retroactive tariffs sparked a rush in ferro-silicon imports, with shipments from Brazil and Malaysia more than doubling to 14,142 tonnes and 13,658 tonnes, respectively.

Meanwhile, increased shipments of high carbon ferro-manganese from Australia and South Africa partially offset a 52% drop in shipments from Malaysia, which totaled 15,645 tonnes.