China's domestic manganese ore market has remained stable over the past week. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 46 percent Mn content currently stand at $7.21-$7.37/dmtu at China's Tianjin port, while offers of lump ore of 48 percent Mn content are at $7.37/dmtu. Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 44 percent grade Mn ore from Gabon are in the range of $6.73/dmtu, while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $6.41/dmtu.
The decline in manganese alloy prices has not yet had any negative impact on China's manganese ore market. Nevertheless, it is believed that the soft trend of manganese alloy prices will cause alloy producers to reduce their production volumes, eventually affecting demand for manganese ore. At present, the market's attention is focused on the likely increase in electricity supply charges in southern China, but the provincial governments in the south have not yet made any official price increase announcement. Such an increase will raise alloy producers' costs and likely cause them to reduce outputs. For the moment, sentiment in China's manganese ore market remains positive and the stable price trend will continue for another while, though perhaps not for long.