Japan: Manganese ore imports rise sharply in Feb’22

Japanese manganese ore imports increased sharply by 113% m-o-m to 124,525 t in Feb’22 from 58,201 t in Jan, while yearly imports increased by 22%. Import values increased due to a rise in the cost of imported raw materials (manganese ore) and volumes rose due to the production gap left by domestic producers. South Africa remained the major exporting country to Japan in Feb.