- Bulk bookings, planned maintenance limit fresh manganese ore inquiries
- Weekly cargo arrivals down at Indian port
India’s imported manganese ore prices remained stable in the week ending 10 October 2026, as higher offers dampened buying interest among Indian smelters. Demand was further constrained by planned maintenance at several key smelters and the arrival of bulk ore shipments booked at lower prices, with deliveries expected within few days. These factors reduced immediate procurement requirements and limited fresh inquiries despite firm supplier offers.
- Australian high-grade manganese ore (Mn 46%) prices remained largely stable, edging down marginally by $0.02/dmtu w-o-w to $5.40/dmtu CNF Haldia/Vizag.
- Gabonese high-grade manganese ore (Mn 44%) prices remained largely stable, declining slightly by $0.03/dmtu w-o-w to $5.02/dmtu CNF Haldia/Vizag.
- South African manganese ore lumps (Mn 37%) prices remained stable at $4.65/dmtu CNF Haldia/Vizag, with no significant w-o-w change.
Smelters’ inventory cover through December weighs on manganese ore demand: Planned maintenance at several key manganese alloy smelters has reduced immediate manganese ore procurement requirements. Some producers have already secured bulk ore shipments sufficient to meet their requirements through December 2026, limiting fresh inquiries despite firm supplier offers. Additionally, a few operating smelters are running at around 30% below capacity, while some Raipur-based producers are selling electricity to the grid through October and considering extending the arrangement until November 2026. These factors have reduced ore consumption and replenishment demand, keeping imported manganese ore prices stable. However, lower alloy production and reduced operating rates may also constrain spot availability of manganese alloys, creating a divergence between subdued ore buying interest and potentially tighter alloy supply.
Freight uncertainty and container shortages weigh on ore procurement: Bulk manganese ore shipments contracted earlier at lower prices are expected to arrive in India within the next few days, reducing smelters’ immediate dependence on fresh imports at prevailing higher offers. Meanwhile, rising ocean freight costs and concerns over container availability are increasing landed-cost uncertainty and complicating replacement procurement. This has reinforced buyers’ wait-and-watch approach, as smelters weigh the cost advantage of existing bookings against higher import costs, limiting fresh inquiries despite firm supplier offers, sources informed BigMint.
Imported manganese ore arrivals in India down w-o-w: Weekly manganese ore cargo arrivals (Mn37%, Mn44%, and Mn46%) to India decreased by 73% to 30,300 t over 27 September – 03 October 2026 against 113,900 t in the previous week.
Outlook
We expect planned smelter maintenance, sufficient inventories from earlier lower-priced bookings and limited fresh inquiries to cap near-term upside. A sustained price increase will depend on inventory absorption and the resumption of fresh procurement.
Leave a Reply