According to the latest release from the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics showed that China’s total manganese ore imports were 3.4426 million mt in January 2026, up 5.14% MoM and up 102.98% YoY. January imports by origin were Australia (601,700 mt, up 3.93% MoM), South Africa (1.963 million mt, up 12.1% MoM), Gabon (331,900 mt, down 11.61% MoM), Ghana (265,700 mt, down 21.39% MoM), Brazil (121,400 mt, up 80.69% MoM), and Myanmar (43,500 mt, down 4.56% MoM).

According to the latest release from the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics showed that China’s total manganese ore imports in February 2026 were 2.3064 million mt, down 33.00% MoM and up 3.24% YoY. Cumulative imports in January-February were 5.749 million mt, up 46.29% YoY from the same period last year. February imports from Australia were 413,100 mt, down 31.35% MoM; South Africa 990,400 mt, down 49.55% MoM; Gabon 375,100 mt, up 13.01% MoM; Ghana 270,400 mt, up 1.78% MoM; Brazil 99,700 mt, down 17.87% MoM; and Myanmar 49,900 mt, up 14.8% MoM.

Ghanaian President Mahama announced that Ghana plans to cease exporting unprocessed ore by 2030. The President stated that this move aims to support local processing enterprises, enabling them to lead the government's flagship industrial development and job creation initiatives. On February 13, 2026, President Mahama delivered a speech in Addis Ababa, emphasizing the importance of halting the export of unprocessed resources. He advocated for enhancing the capacity of local processing enterprises to increase production and strengthen the value chain. "I declare that by 2030, Ghana will no longer export any ore. We will no longer ship unprocessed ores such as manganese ore, bauxite, or iron ore out of Ghana. All these ores must be processed locally.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to shifting from exporting raw minerals to becoming a competitive player in the global extractive value chain. Speaking at the Mining Local Content Summit 2026 in Takoradi (mid-February 2026), he called it unacceptable for Ghana to export raw ores while importing finished products. He set an ambitious five-year target to eliminate raw ore exports.

On December 11, the Vice President of Ghana announced that ReElement Technologies Corporation, a subsidiary of American Resources Corporation, had partnered with TECHGULF Ghana Limited in planning Africa’s first lithium processing plant in Ghana.

According to foreign media reports, Ghana Bauxite Company is expected to produce 6 million mt of bauxite by the end of 2025. To achieve this goal, the company will make a continuous investment of up to $122.97 million to upgrade facilities and improve operational efficiency.