Mexican manganese and ferroalloys producer Minera Autlan said this week it has extended a temporary halt at its Gomez Palacio plant due to weak market conditions.
The company said it suspended activities for scheduled maintenance in December, but repairs have been delayed until now due to “harsh” domestic steel market conditions.
“The low steel production, in addition to the nation’s economic situation, have affected manganese ferroalloys demand in the domestic market,” Minera Autlan said in a statement.
The company did not provide a timeline to resume operations at its Gomez Palacio plant, but indicated it could take months.
“Autlan believes there might be in the next few months a recovery in the (local) steel market (so) we can reconsider resuming activities at the Gomez Palacio plant,” the company said, adding that it has enough capacity to supply both domestic and foreign clients through its Teziutlan and Tamos plants.