Global chrome ore departures from major export ports totaled 624,900 mt in the week ended September 18, up 34.75% week-on-week, according to SMM's latest data. This marks a second consecutive weekly increase, extending the recovery from mid-September's low and pushing volumes to their highest level since early September's surge.
Maputo drove the bulk of the increase, with departures rising to 555,600 mt from 438,700 mt, a 26.65% gain that lifted the port's share of total departures to roughly 89%. The continued build in Maputo's volumes reinforces its position as the dominant corridor through the recent stretch of volatility, with the port now accounting for the vast majority of active shipments for a third straight week. Mersin also posted a solid gain, rising to 69,300 mt from 25,200 mt, more than doubling its prior week's total.
Richards Bay and Beira both recorded no departures for the week, extending their inactivity from the prior week and underscoring the increasingly narrow, Maputo-concentrated nature of regional export flows in recent weeks. With two of the four tracked ports now dormant for consecutive weeks, the latest data points to a continued reliance on Maputo as the primary conduit for seaborne chrome ore out of the region.
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