Current supply status, demand trends and security measures of chromium resources in China

Abstract

Chromium, a strategic mineral resource in China, is widely used in high-precision equipment manufacturing. As the world’s leading consumer and importer of chromite, China’s external dependence exceeds 99%. The significant imbalance between domestic supply and demand seriously threatens national economic security. This study discusses the state of China’s chromium resource supply from four aspects: the overview of domestic and global chromium resources, China’s chromite production and import volume, the sources of imported chromite, and risk analysis. Considering the chromium industrial chain and factors such as production, consumption, and recovery tendency of chromium-bearing stainless steel, it is forecasted that China’s demand for chromium ore will decline by 2040. This could considerably reduce the security situation of chromium resources. This study proposes five strategies for securing chromium resources: technological innovation, enhancing international cooperation and acquiring overseas resources, constructing a new pattern of “dual circulation” resource guarantee for sea–land transportation, encouraging chromium recycling, and building an emergency management system and strategic reserve mechanism for chromium resources.