The Chinese domestic manganese ore market has continued to be characterized by a slightly soft trend during the past week. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 46 percent Mn content currently stand at $4.80/dmtu at China's Tianjin port, while offers of lump ore of 48 percent Mn content are at $5.12/dmtu. Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 44 percent grade Mn ore from Gabon are at $4.63/dmtu, while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $4.31/dmtu.
Overall trading activity in the local Chinese manganese ore market has generally remained slack during the past week, indicating just a slight improvement, with demand from downstream manganese alloy producers on the weak side. Trading activity in northern China has been a little better than in the south of the country. Manganese ore stock levels at Chinese ports are still high but supply volumes from foreign miners have declined somewhat. As for the coming week, it is believed that manganese ore prices in China may continue their slightly soft trend.