Brazil’s Ferbasa produced 40,395 mt of high-carbon ferrochrome and sold 27,131 mt—26,861 mt internally and 270 mt for export in the fourth quarter of 2012. The company’s low-carbon output was 4,823 mt and sales were 4,617 mt—2,940 mt internally and 1,677 mt for export. In 2012, the company produced 141,943 mt of high carbon ferrochrome, up 22% (116,366 mt) from 2011, while low-carbon output was 20,425 mt, up 19.3% (17,119 mt).

The Brazilian smelter sold 122,840 mt of high-carbon ferrochrome domestically in 2012, up 15.3%, while exporting 1,843 mt, down 72.9%, from 2011. Low-carbon sales to the domestic market were 12,622 mt, down 4.1% (13,158 mt), while export sales were up 24% to 6,284 mt from 5,067 mt.

In 2012, the company’s revenue from high-ferrochrome sales were up 26% vs. 2011, while export sales were down 68.2%. Ferbasa also exported chrome ore and concentrates valued at 14,256-million reais in 2012 vs. 27,411-million reais in 2011, a drop of 48%.

Net sales in 2012 totaled 707,522,000 reais, an increase of 10.1% compared to 2011. In the domestic market, despite a 2.66% drop in stainless steel production, Ferbasa agreed to supply to its principal customer high-carbon ferrochrome with the same specification as the ferrochrome the customer had previously imported.

In foreign markets, 2012 net sales of 203,505,000 reais rose by 12.6% from 180,705,000 reais recorded in 2011.

Ferbasa also blamed the drop in fourth-quarter sales on customers halting shipments.

In February 2013, the company sold 13,201 mt of high- and 1,432 mt of low-carbon ferrochrome, up 3.85% and down 22.2%, respectively, from February 2012.