The Chinese manganese ore market is still characterized by slack activity, with trading volumes still low and prices unchanged. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 44 percent Mn content currently stand at $6.34-6.50/dmtu at China's Tianjin port, while offers of South African origin lump ore of 44 percent Mn content are at $6.50-6.67/dmtu. Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 38 percent grade Mn ore from Australia are in the range of $5.71-5.87/dmtu, while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $5.71-5.87/dmtu.
Since September last year, the overall steel market in China has been characterized by a softening of prices. Steel mills' profits were hit and they reduced their purchase prices for silicomanganese. Meanwhile, increases in electricity prices in China pushed up the costs of silicomanganese producers and so many of these producers reduced their production volumes, with the result that manganese ore demand declined. Manganese ore inventory levels in China have remained high. Currently, manganese ore demand in China remains sluggish. For the month of February the manganese ore market in China is expected to continue to move on a stable trend.