China imported around 901,767 tonnes of chrome ore and concentrates in March, a drop of 20.6% month on month and a fall of 41.9% year on year, according to official but unconfirmed data seen by Fastmarkets.
Meanwhile, China's chrome ore imports from South Africa, the world's largest chrome ore producer, came to 660,503 tonnes in March, accounting for around 73.2% of total shipments despite recording an 18.3% month-on-month dip and a 40.4% year-on-year drop, data showed. The decline in the imports in March was partly ascribed to the fact that Chinese buyers showed little interest in placing orders in late January when bearish sentiment prevailed in the market. Cargoes arriving in China in March were ordered in either late January or early February, sources said. Furthermore, Chinese New Year fell in February (February 4-10) this year and some Chinese buyers postponed their...