- South32 lifts South African, Australian ore offers for Oct’25
- Weekly manganese ore cargo arrivals dip slightly at ports
Imported manganese ore prices in India continued to rise week-on-week, supported by stronger buying interest and firmer offers from key exporters in Australia, South Africa, and Gabon. Market participants reported that offers at various ports in north and south India for select grades edged higher, reflecting a tightening sentiment.
However, restocking remains measured rather than aggressive. While inquiries have improved, a slight dip in port arrivals and variability across grades suggest that buyers are proceeding cautiously, awaiting clearer signals from both the domestic alloy market and Chinese demand trends.
- Australian high-grade ore: Prices of Australian high-grade (46% Mn) ore rose slightly by $0.02/dry metric tonne unit (dmtu) to around $4.72/dmtu w-o-w.
- Gabonese high-grade ore: Prices of Gabonese high-grade (44% Mn) inched up by $0.02/dmtu w-o-w to $4.41/dmtu.
- South African lumps: Prices of South African lumps (37% Mn) rose $0.01/dmtu w-o-w to $4.16/dmtu.
South32 lifts Oct’25 ore offers on rising demand, higher costs: South32 has increased its October’25 offers for South African 37% manganese ore by $0.05/dmtu to $4.1/dmtu and for Australian 42% ore by $0.05/dmtu to $4.5/dmtu. The miner cited improved buying interest, tighter global supply, rising production costs, and elevated freight rates as key drivers for the hike.
A key manganese alloys exporter from Haldia informed BigMint that bulk inquiries at Indian ports are expected to lend support to alloy prices. Imported manganese ore prices have already started trending upward, which may further push alloy prices higher.
Currently, alloy prices are at the bottom, and market participants do not expect a significant further fall. With several smelters already booked until September, tight supply conditions could add to the upward pressure in the near term.
Manganese alloy prices remain rangebound w-o-w: Indian manganese alloys prices stayed mostly stable this week with marginal corrections. Silico manganese (60-14) slipped by INR 100/t ($1/t) w-o-w to INR 69,100–69,500/t ($783–787/t) across Durgapur, Raipur, and Vizag, pressured by weak steel sector demand and monsoon-related transport disruptions.
On the export side, SiMn 65-16 prices dropped $11/t w-o-w to $912/t FOB Vizag/Haldia. In contrast, HC ferro manganese (70%) remained flat at INR 70,300/t ($796/t) exw Durgapur, while Raipur prices eased by INR 200/t ($2/t) to INR 70,400/t ($798/t) amid slight oversupply.
Meanwhile, HC ferro manganese (75%) inched up $3/t w-o-w to $885/t FOB Vizag/Haldia, reflecting stable overseas demand.
Indian manganese alloys prices are expected to stay rangebound with slight upside potential. Weak domestic steel demand and monsoon-related transport disruptions may keep silico manganese under pressure in the short term. However, firm ore prices, steady export inquiries, and smelter bookings are likely to limit further downside, supporting a gradual recovery once logistics improve.
Imported cargo arrivals fall w-o-w: Weekly manganese ore cargo arrivals to India increased by 29% (Mn37%, Mn44%, and Mn46%) to 285,683 t over 27 August-02 September 2025 against 221,083 t in the previous week.
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