Ferrosilicon FOB Price Snapshot: FeSi72 at 1540-1580 and FeSi75 at 1630-1670 USD/Ton
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Price Snapshot as of December 16, 2022
This assessment reproduces the ferrosilicon FOB price published for December 16, 2022. Two grades were quoted: grade 72 and grade 75. The figures are the page's own market assessment and are indicative reference levels only, not exchange-traded prices and not a firm offer.
| Product | Grade | Quotation, USD/ton FOB |
|---|---|---|
| Ferrosilicon | 72 | 1,540-1,580 |
| Ferrosilicon | 75 | 1,630-1,670 |
Unit: USD per ton, FOB China, exactly as printed on the source article. Ferrosilicon prices track power and raw-material costs closely, so the two ranges above describe one dated snapshot rather than today's level.
What FOB Covers Under Incoterms 2020
FOB, Free On Board, is a trade rule of Incoterms 2020. At the named port of shipment the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel nominated by the buyer and completes export clearance. Risk of loss or damage passes to the buyer once the goods are on board. The buyer arranges and pays for the main carriage and for marine insurance. For ferrosilicon, an FOB quotation therefore prices the alloy at the loading port, not the voyage.
The named port is part of the price, because inland freight to the port differs from one location to another. Loading ports commonly used for ferrosilicon exports from northern China include Tianjin, Qingdao, Rizhao and Lianyungang.
| Term | Seller covers | Risk transfers | Freight and insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOB, Free On Board | Delivery on board and export clearance at the named port | When the goods are on board the vessel | Buyer arranges both |
| CFR, Cost and Freight | Delivery on board plus freight to the destination port | When the goods are on board the vessel | Freight by seller, insurance by buyer |
| CIF, Cost, Insurance and Freight | Delivery on board plus freight and marine insurance to the destination port | When the goods are on board the vessel | Both by seller |
Definitions follow ICC Incoterms 2020. To set a CFR or CIF figure against the FOB ranges above, add the ocean freight leg and, for CIF, marine insurance as well.
Ferrosilicon Grades 72 and 75
The two rows correspond to the two ferrosilicon grades most often exported from China. The numbers 72 and 75 are shorthand for nominal silicon content: about 72% silicon for grade 72 and about 75% for grade 75, usually written FeSi72 and FeSi75 in trade. GB/T 2272, the Chinese national standard for ferrosilicon, governs composition for this product family. It sets out grade series such as FeSi75, FeSi65 and FeSi45 with aluminium-content subgrades, and limits on carbon, sulfur and phosphorus. FeSi72 sits between FeSi65 and FeSi75 in silicon content.
Silicon content drives unit value, because each ton of alloy carries more silicon into the steel. In the December 16, 2022 assessment reproduced above, the grade 75 range sat 50 to 130 USD per ton above the grade 72 range, depending on which ends of the two ranges are paired.
Deoxidizer in steelmaking, where silicon removes oxygen from the melt.
Alloying addition for high-strength structural steel, spring steel and electrical steel.
Inoculant in cast iron, influencing graphite shape and chill depth.
Reducing agent in ferroalloy smelting and in the silicothermic production route to magnesium.
Typical Delivery Forms and Packaging
| Item | Typical specification |
|---|---|
| Lump size | 10-50 mm, 10-100 mm and 50-100 mm are the common stock sizes |
| Powder and granules | 0-3 mm, 1-3 mm and 3-10 mm for ladle or cored-wire additions |
| Packaging | 1 MT jumbo bags, 25 kg bags, or steel drums on pallets, moisture protected |
| Loading | Bagged or bulk in containers, or breakbulk at the port |
These are typical industry stock ranges. Exact sizes, packaging and loading terms are agreed in the order.
What Drives Ferrosilicon FOB Prices
Ferrosilicon is smelted in submerged-arc furnaces from quartz, coke and iron-bearing raw materials, and electricity is the largest single cost component. Quotations therefore respond to power tariffs and load restrictions, to quartz and coke prices, to steel-mill demand for deoxidation and alloying, to export demand cycles, and to exchange rates and ocean freight. These drivers can move prices within days, which is why the December 16, 2022 figures should be read strictly as one dated snapshot.
Buyer's Checklist
State the grade and silicon target, FeSi72 or FeSi75, and the aluminium limit you need, and reference GB/T 2272 in the enquiry.
Agree the Incoterms rule, the named loading port and the unit, USD per ton, in writing.
Specify lump size and packaging: jumbo bag, small bag or drum.
Agree sampling and third-party chemical analysis before shipment.
Record the quotation date and treat dated assessments as reference only.
FAQ
Q: What do the numbers 72 and 75 mean in ferrosilicon grades 72 and 75?
They denote nominal silicon content: ferrosilicon 72 contains about 72% silicon and ferrosilicon 75 about 75%. Composition limits come from GB/T 2272, including aluminium subgrades and limits on carbon, sulfur and phosphorus.
Q: Are the FOB prices above current?
No. They are an indicative assessment dated December 16, 2022, published on this page as the site's own data. Ferrosilicon prices move with power, raw-material costs and steel demand, so a current quotation is needed before contracting.
Q: What does an FOB price include?
Under Incoterms 2020 an FOB price covers delivery of the goods on board the vessel at the named loading port plus export clearance by the seller. Ocean freight and marine insurance are not included, and are added when comparing CFR or CIF figures.
Q: Why is grade 75 quoted higher than grade 72?
Higher silicon content means more silicon units per ton, which raises raw-material and energy cost. In the December 16, 2022 assessment, grade 75 was quoted at 1,630-1,670 USD per ton against 1,540-1,580 USD per ton for grade 72.
Q: Which Chinese standard governs ferrosilicon composition?
GB/T 2272, the Chinese national standard for ferrosilicon, defines the FeSi75, FeSi65 and FeSi45 grade series with aluminium-content subgrades and sets limits on carbon, sulfur and phosphorus.
Q: Do the two grades differ in delivery form?
Both are supplied as lump, granules or powder and in the same packaging options. The choice between FeSi72 and FeSi75 depends on your silicon target, your impurity limits and the unit economics at the time of purchase.
