SoftMetal Demo Platform
This is a demo version. None of the deals concluded on the platform will lead to an obligation nor a commitment from your side or your counterparts.
Platform News
View allSoftMetal added FeSi and FeMn
Today, SoftMetal added FeSi and FeMn in addition to FeCr to the live version of the platform. Now market participants can extend their portfolio and enjoy all the benefits SoftMetal provides
Access World Terminals B.V. has joined SoftMetal
As of July 10th, 2024, Access World Terminals B.V. has joined as a registered warehouse on SoftMetal. Now, our current and potential clients can put material stored with Access World in Norther Europe on offer on SoftMetal, sell/buy/trade or deenferumize and deliver to their customers.
Read more.Fastmarkets 39th International Ferroalloys 2023 Conference
Productive days at Fastmarkets 39th International Ferroalloys 2023 Conference in Prague. We are greatful to our partners for constructive and beneficial meetings, opportunity to make introduction to SoftMetal, and to explain all the functionalities and innovations it provides for alloys market. Let's stay in touch and hope to see even more participants during the future conferences.
Read more.First deal on SoftMetal
We are excited to announce that the first deal on SoftMetal was concluded for Low Grade High Carbon Ferrochrome (Cr content between 60-65%). Traded in a confidential and secure environment and with third party clearing & settlement. A digitized warehouse lot (ENFERUM) was on offer on the exchange on Thursday and was sold on Friday. Matched last Friday, it was consequently settled - paid and released for shipment - on Monday. Today a truck of FeCr is being loaded at the warehouse! The trade was executed and settled with the help of payment solution provider Vistra Escrow and Payment Services B.V and warehousing partner Euro-Rijn. This is a truly innovative transformation of trading and delivering metal and provides for truly supply and demand driven price discovery.
Market Updates
View allEuropean Quarterly Benchmark for Q4 2023
Merafe Resources (a 20.5% FeCr joint with venture with Glencore in South Africa) has announced European Quarterly Benchmark for Q4 2023, which has been increased to 1.53 USD per lb/cr, or up by 1.32% Q vs Q
Read more.Baosteel has rolled-over high-carbon ferrochrome Bidding Price for October 2023
After a decent price increase in September, Baosteeel has rolled-over FeCr Bidding for October 2023
Read more.Articles
View allWhat to expect from FeCr market development in H2 2025 – is the glass half full or half empty?
While the ferrochrome (FeCr) market usually slows in summer, signs suggest that this quiet period could be masking deeper supply issues already in motion. Despite significant production cuts in the RSA, the market has not shown significant reaction. We expect that once the restocking period starts, those cuts will put upward pressure on the FeCr prices, and it might happen faster than market participants could react. Especially with the latest stainless steel production numbers being close to 2024 results, around 60+ million tonnes.
Read more.“Last Men Standing” from “Magnificent Seven” of a decade ago
In 2014-2015 South African ferrochrome industry had 7 major producers, with installed FeCr capacity over 5 million tonnes annually. Now there are only 2 left (with around 4 million tonnes of installed capacity), while others completely shut down. Due to current market conditions, the remaining producers are struggling to continue operations. In the beginning of 2025, both Samancor and Glencore-Merafe announced that they are expecting to cut FeCr production. While Samancor did not indicate the level of cuts, recently Glencore-Merafe stated that these cuts could reach 2/3 of the current production level, or almost 1 million tonnes.
Read more.SoftMetal and arbitrage opportunity
Arbitrage opportunity is one of the fundamentals of commodity trading. Unfortunately, it rarely occurs in the ferroalloys market, due to difficulty with price discovery. Learn about the latest examples of arbitrage opportunities in the ferroalloys market and how SoftMetal can provide its users with the ability to attain it.
Read more.2025 Standing at a roundabout: Part 2
2024 in the ferroalloys industry has been very eventful and many changes anticipated before were materializing and altering the landscape of the global ferroalloys industry factors, thus raising the question of “What’s Next?”.
Read more.
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