The Chinese domestic manganese ore market has followed a downward trend during the past week. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 46 percent Mn content currently stand at $3.56/dmtu at China’s Tianjin port, while offers of lump ore of 48 percent Mn content are at $3.75/dmtu. Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 44 percent grade Mn ore from Gabon are at $3.20/dmtu, while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $3.13/dmtu.
Trading activity in the Chinese manganese ore market has remained slow during the past seven days. Ore prices at Chinese ports are unlikely to rise given the ongoing soft trend of the downstream manganese alloy market and the relatively large decreases in foreign miners’ quotations. As for the coming week, it is believed that manganese ore prices in China may soften slightly.