- Short-term stability seen in imported manganese ore prices
- Weekly cargo arrivals down by 33% at Indian port
The Indian imported manganese ore market remained largely stable over the week, with prices moving within a limited band. Steady-to-firm offers in the domestic manganese alloys segment further reinforced price stability, preventing any major directional shift.
- Australian high-grade ore (Mn 46%): inched up $0.01/dmtu w-o-w to $5.55/dmtu CNF Haldia/Vizag.
- Gabonese high-grade ore (Mn 44%): slightly up $0.01/dmtu w-o-w to $5.19/dmtu CNF Haldia/Vizag.
- South African lumps (Mn 37%): stable w-o-w stood at $4.62/dmtu CNF Haldia/Vizag.
Market Overview
Tight shipments, slow demand keep manganese ore prices stable: Imported manganese ore prices in India remained stable as tight supply conditions were balanced by cautious buying. Shipments from Port Hedland faced minor delays due to congestion and weather disruptions, while slower transshipment and blending activity at Port of Tianjin limited re-export availability. On the domestic front, inventories at key discharge points such as Visakhapatnam Port remained adequate, discouraging aggressive procurement.
Market participants expect prices to stay within a stable range as Chinese inquiries are likely to ease during the Lunar New Year and domestic manganese alloy prices remain steady. However, uncertainty over European demand and the absence of any revision in trade quota allocations could prompt some short-term strategic buying, followed by a mild softening in imported ore prices in the coming weeks.
Manganese alloy prices edge up w-o-w amid cautious buying: Indian manganese alloy prices edged up slightly w-o-w. Silico manganese (60-14) rose by INR 375/t ($4/t) to INR 73,200–74,300/t ($807–819/t) across Durgapur, Raipur, Visakhapatnam, and Raigarh, supported by limited acceptance of higher offers and adequate buyer inventories that kept gains modest. HC 65-16 silico manganese increased by $3/t to $924/t FOB Haldia/Vizag, while 70% ferro manganese remained steady at INR 73,800/t in Durgapur and rose marginally to INR 74,500/t in Raipur amid need-based procurement. Meanwhile, export prices for 75% grade declined by $9/t w-o-w to $909/t FOB Vizag/Haldia.
Imported manganese ore cargo arrivals drop: Weekly manganese ore cargo arrivals (Mn37%, Mn44%, and Mn46%) to India fell by 33% to 60,220 t over 29 January-4 February 2026 against 88,970 t in the previous week.
Outlook
Imported manganese ore prices in India are expected to remain largely range-bound in the near term, supported by steady alloy production and controlled procurement strategies from smelters. In the short term, seasonal fluctuations in Chinese demand and currency movements may influence sentiment, but absent any major supply shock or sharp rise in alloy output, prices are expected to move within a narrow band with a slight downside bias over the coming weeks.
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