According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics showed that China's total manganese ore imports in April 2026 were 2.814 million mt, down 11.61% MoM and down 5.29% YoY. From January to April 2026, total manganese ore imports were approximately 11.7467 million mt, up 1.9144 million mt YoY (approximately 8.8323 million mt imported from January to April 2025), up 33.00% YoY. Specifically, South African ore was 1.5381 million mt (down 17.02% MoM), Ghanaian ore 447,000 mt (up 127.24% MoM), Australian ore 342,800 mt (down 13.37% MoM), Gabonese ore 202,400 mt (down 55.26% MoM), Brazilian ore 109,600 mt (up 15.52% MoM), and Myanmar ore 57,800 mt (up 7.15% MoM).

As a core vital raw material for manganese hydrometallurgy, sulfuric acid dominates production costs and process selection across the entire product chain. Major manganese products, including electrolytic manganese, diversified manganese sulfate, and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD), adopt distinct production processes with varied acid consumption structures.

In the manganese-based hydrometallurgy industry chain, sulphuric acid is not merely an ordinary auxiliary material, but rather a core lifeline raw material that runs through the production of all product categories, controls production costs, and influences process selection. Mainstream products such as EMM, various grades of manganese sulphate, and EMD differ vastly in production processes and have entirely distinct acid consumption structures, which also leads to completely stratified sensitivities of various manganese products to sulphuric acid price fluctuations. Every round of change in acid prices transmits from top to bottom, directly reshaping the cost structure and market dynamics of the manganese industry chain.

April 30 update: Northern ports: South African high-grade iron ore at 33.1-35 yuan/mtu, flat WoW from last Friday; South African semi-carbonate at 39.8-40.3 yuan/mtu, down WoW from last Friday; Gabon at 44-44.6 yuan/mtu, down WoW from last Friday; 46% Australian lumps at 45.5-46 yuan/mtu, down WoW from last Friday. South China ports: South African high-grade iron ore at 36-36.5 yuan/mtu, flat WoW from last Friday; South African semi-carbonate at 37.8-38.5 yuan/mtu, down WoW from last Friday; Gabon at 42.5-43 yuan/mtu, down WoW from last Friday; 46% Australian lumps at 45-45.5 yuan/mtu, down WoW from last Friday.

China's manganese market has completely moved away from the pattern of rising and falling in unison, with severe divergence across product categories: EMM and Mn3O4 pulled back on weakness, battery-grade manganese sulphate remained resilient and firm with tight spot supply, EMD traded sideways steadily, LMO struggled to catch up passively, and the industry has officially entered a structural market with clear differentiation between strong and weak segments, with distinct investment and stockpiling opportunities hidden beneath the divergence.

China's manganese market showed clear divergence: EMM softened at high levels with prices pulling back, while battery-grade manganese sulphate maintained firm cost support, and market opinions on the May outlook became increasingly divided.