According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics show that China's total manganese ore imports in May 2026 were 2.7278 million mt, down 3.06% MoM and down 7.32% YoY. Total manganese ore imports from January to May 2026 were approximately 14.4745 million mt, up 2.699 million mt YoY (compared to approximately 11.7755 million mt in January-May 2025) and up 22.92% YoY. Specifically, imports by source were: Australian ore 489,500 mt (up 42.79% MoM), South African ore 1.5865 million mt (up 3.15% MoM), Gabonese ore 276,800 mt (up 36.8% MoM), Ghanaian ore 171,800 mt (down 61.57% MoM), Brazilian ore 132,900 mt (up 21.3% MoM), and Myanmar ore 57,400 mt (down 0.68% MoM).

South Korea's Ministry of Strategy and Finance has imposed provisional antidumping (AD) duties ranging from 22.34% to 33.67% on imports of certain Chinese coated steel products with a thickness below 4.75 mm, effective from June 12, 2026, until October 11, 2026. The duties target galvanized, zinc-aluminum, or zinc-aluminum-manganese alloy-coated cold-rolled sheets and coils. Under the company-specific rates, Baogang Steel Union received the lowest duty of 22.34%, Shougang Jingtang was assigned 26.28%, Hong Kong-based Wing Tung Holdings received the highest at 33.67%, and other Chinese producers are subject to 25.75%. This trade defense measure highlights South Korea's aggressive steps to protect its domestic flat steel producers from material injury caused by dumped imports, a move that is likely to sharply reduce the market share of Chinese coated steel in the region and provide a pricing floor for local mills, before potentially being extended into definitive five-year duties.

June 18: North China ports: South African high-iron manganese ore: 31.4-32.1 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; South African semi-carbonate: 37.5-38 yuan/mtu, down WoW; Gabonese ore: 40.6-41 yuan/mtu, down WoW; 46% Australian lumps: 43.3-43.8 yuan/mtu, down WoW; South African medium-iron ore: 37.5-38 yuan/mtu, flat WoW. South China ports: South African high-iron manganese ore: 34.1-34.6 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; South African semi-carbonate: 36.5-37 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; Gabonese ore: 41-41.5 yuan/mtu, down WoW; 46% Australian lumps: 43.5-44 yuan/mtu, flat WoW; South African medium-iron ore: 37-37.5 yuan/mtu, flat WoW. The manganese ore market remains stable but stagnant, with sluggish end-use demand and a dominant wait-and-see sentiment in trading.

News Release, June 18, 2026: The chrome market maintained a downward trend this week, with ample supply and sluggish demand across the board. Market confidence remains weak, and most participants hold bearish expectations.

As the mid-year period approaches, manufacturers are generally reluctant to build additional inventories and are instead consuming existing raw material stocks.

On June 18, GEM disclosed that its main business growth drivers include focusing on core businesses such as key metal recycling and extraction, power lithium battery recycling, and new energy material core manufacturing. In the ternary precursor business, the company focuses on expanding the high-end product market. Regarding ternary cathode materials, the company focuses on high-profit segments such as small power applications, planning shipments to exceed 35,000 tons in 2026 and 60,000 tons in 2028. At the same time, the company is actively positioning itself in next-generation battery material technologies. High-nickel, ultra-high-nickel ternary cathode materials, and lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials are considered the mainstream research directions for future solid-state batteries. The company has teamed up with Ningbo Eastern University of Technology and the academician team of Sun Xueliang to promote the industrialization of related technologies.