The Chinese manganese ore market has moved on a stable trend during the past week. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 44 percent Mn content currently stand at $6.57/dmtu at China's Tianjin port, while offers of South African origin lump ore of 44 percent Mn content are at $6.40/dmtu. Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 38 percent grade Mn ore from Australia are in the range of $6.40/dmtu, while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $6.24/dmtu.
Downstream demand for manganese ore in China has been improving but supply is still insufficient especially in the south. Manganese alloy producers are still suffering from higher costs of electricity but their overall demand for manganese ore has not been negatively impacted by this. It is believed that manganese ore prices in China will be characterized by a firm trend in the coming week, with price increases anticipated for certain grades.