Chinese domestic manganese ore prices have continued their upward trend during the past week. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 46 percent Mn content currently stand at $5.86/dmtu (RMB 41.5/dmtu) at China’s Tianjin port, while offers of lump ore of 48 percent Mn content are at $6.15/mtu (RMB 43.5/dmtu). Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 44 percent grade Mn ore from Gabon are at $6.15/dmtu (RMB 43.5/dmtu), while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $4.87/dmtu (RMB 34.5/dmtu).
Overall trading activity in the domestic manganese ore market has been weak due to the off-season, though prices have continued to rise amid the strong upward trend of manganese ore quotations from overseas suppliers, despite the ongoing weak tendency of the downstream manganese alloy market. Meanwhile, low inventory levels at ports are also a factor supporting the continued uptrend of manganese ore prices in China. As for the week ahead, after the recent strong increases, it is believed that manganese ore prices may just fluctuate by small margins.
$1 = RMB 7.077