Global chrome ore departures totaled 642,500 mt in the week ended October 2, down 2.74% week-on-week, according to SMM's latest data. The modest headline decline masks a significant reshuffling beneath the surface, as a sharp rebound at Maputo was offset by pullbacks at Richards Bay and Mersin.
Maputo departures rose to 488,800 mt from 340,200 mt, a 43.68% increase that lifted the port's share of total departures back to roughly 76% from about 51.5% a week earlier, reversing the prior week's shift toward a more distributed export mix. Richards Bay fell to 95,700 mt from 227,800 mt, a 57.99% decline that gave back the bulk of the prior week's rebound, while Mersin eased 31.52% to 58,000 mt from 84,700 mt. Beira again recorded no chrome ore departures, remaining inactive for a fourth consecutive week.
The week's data points to a reversion toward the more Maputo-concentrated flow pattern seen through most of August and September, with the prior week's broader distribution across ports proving short-lived. Whether Richards Bay's pullback reflects a one-off after an unusually strong prior week or a return to its more intermittent loading pattern will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks.
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