- Nearly 68% of offered volume attracts successful bids
- Demand continues to be centred on Mn 30-32% ore
On 23 January 2026, Sandur Manganese and Iron Ore (SMIORE) conducted an auction offering 23,688 t of manganese ore, comprising both fines and lumps. The material covered Mn grades ranging from 18% to 35% and particle sizes between -10 mm to 100 mm. The auction generated notable buyer interest, with approximately 16,128 t, around 68% of the total volume, successfully booked, while the remaining 7,560 t remained unsold.
The bulk of buying interest focused on Mn 30-32% ore, with 10 lots securing bookings.
Bids remain mostly steady m-o-m
Bids for manganese ore remained largely stable m-o-m in the auction concluded on 23 January. The weighted average bid for lumps with Mn 18-20% content settled at INR 3,452/t ($38/t), a slight 4% decline from the previous auction held on 12 January, where prices stood at INR 3,585/t ($39/t).
However, bids for ore with Mn 20-22% content rose by 2% m-o-m, while prices for the Mn 22-24% grade went up by 4% over the same period.
Similarly, bids for the Mn 28-30%, 30-32%, 22-24%, and 32-34% grades moved up marginally by 1% from the previous auction concluded on 12 January.
BigMint’s assessment for silico manganese (60-14) prices in Vizag also edged up by 1% w-o-w to INR 72,100/t ($782/t) on 23 January when compared to INR 71,400/t ($779/t) on 16 January.Rising manganese ore costs, particularly from imports, added upward pressure, while steel mills’ cautious buying kept transactions selective.
Leave a Reply