Manganese ore market gets weak support from alloy industry
2006-01-17 09:15:48 【Print】
BEIJING (Asian Metal) 17 Jan 06 – So far, the manganese ore market in China still gets little support from ferroalloys industry, therefore, Chinese Mn ore market remains as sluggish as in last fortnight.
As silico-manganese and ferromanganese prices continue the sliding trend to suppliers’ disappointment, alloy producers have tried their best to obtain cheap Mn ore as raw materials.
“We needn’t buy manganese ore in a hurry, as there are sufficient materials in ports,” alluded a source based in Central China. “We won’t purchase unless the offers are attractive enough.”
Close sources reported cheap Mn ore from Southeast Asian regions recently, with USD2.1-2.2/mtu CIF China for Mn ore (grains and sands), Mn 45%. Meanwhile, price of Mn ore from Gabon generally stands at USD2.45-2.5/mtu CIF China and USD2.5-2.55/mtu for Mn ore from Australia.
According to Mn ore suppliers, SiMn/FeMn producers remain uninterested in purchasing many Mn ore for stocks in view of possible risks. “I plan to give manganese ore to a consumer and get a proportionate end products from the opposite,” said a trader based in South China.
Currently, some major SiMn/FeMn producers in China still hold high-price Mn ore in warehouses, leaving them with no favorable production costs and little interest in further Mn ore purchasing.
