Turkey's Eti Krom, a subsidiary of Yildirim, has suspended exports of ferro-chrome and chrome ore for an undetermined period because of logistical problems resulting from damage caused by the Turkey-Syria earthquake.
Damage to the railway line from Eti Krom's mine and ferro-chrome plant to Turkey's southern seaports has forced the company to pause its exports.
The railway's suspension has blocked access to the company's main export route, Iskenderun port, which has also been closed until further notice as a result of earthquake damage and a subsequent fire, in which more than 1,000 containers caught fire, according to Turkey's maritime authority.
The nearest alternative, Mersin port, 209km west, is operational and shipping companies are rerouting their traffic there. But with the railway out of service, Eti Krom's products are unable to reach the port.
"All chrome ore and ferro-chrome shipments have stopped due to the logistical problems in relation to the earthquakes in the eastern part of Turkey," a source close to the operation said. "There is still no clarity about when things will get back to normal."
Eti Krom produces high-carbon ferro-chrome 65pc minimum chrome content alloy. European prices for this grade were last assessed on 9 February at $2.20-2.50/lb ddp, up from $2.08-2.36/lb ddp on 31 January, and market participants told Argus that the lower availability of Turkish material could push up prices further.
Turkey is the world's second-largest chrome ore exporter and Eti Krom is the country's biggest producer. Argus assessed Turkish lump chrome ore 40-42pc at $310-320/t cif China today, down from a five-year high of $395-400/t cif China in June. The vast majority of the country's chrome ore goes to China.
Relief efforts are ongoing at the Turkey-Syria border, and more than 22,000 people are now known to have died from the earthquake and subsequent destruction.
