The Chinese manganese ore market has mostly followed a stable trend this week, against a background of slack trading activity. Nevertheless, there has been a slight fall in prices in some deals concluded by traders. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 44 percent Mn content currently stand at $6.5-6.65/dmtu at China's Tianjin port, while offers of South African origin lump ore of 44 percent Mn content are at $6.67/dmtu. Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 38 percent grade Mn ore from Australia are in the range of $6.11-6.26/dmtu, while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $6.18/dmtu.
The increase in manganese ore quotations of Australian miner BHP Billiton for July has failed to exert a sufficiently positive impact on the Chinese manganese ore market. Downstream demand in the market is weak and confidence levels in the market are on the low side Domestic steel mills have also reduced their purchase prices for manganese alloys. It is thought that there is a strong possibility of a drop in manganese ore prices in China in the coming week.