Affected by the traditional consumption off-season and raw material price transmission, China’s deep-processed manganese products came under overall downward pressure this week. Products showed differentiated market performances due to distinct supply-demand fundamentals, with obvious linkage across the industrial chain.

The domestic electrolytic manganese market has stabilized slightly after a minor decline recently, with a lingering weak and sluggish market sentiment. Although the price drop has slowed down without continuous sharp declines, market pessimism remains prevalent, and downward pressure is still prominent.

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.

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.

On March 10, to accelerate the comprehensive utilization of electrolytic manganese residue, the Department of Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization of the MIIT held a symposium in Beijing on March 9. The meeting noted that proper utilization of this complex residue is crucial for the high-quality development of the electrolytic manganese industry and regional green growth. The MIIT will conduct in-depth industry research, improve policy and standard systems, and promote advanced technologies to enhance utilization levels.

In late January 2026, China’s domestic electrolytic manganese market has been operating under a pattern of elevated raw material pressure, optimized supply and stable demand support.

Entering late January 2026, the domestic EMM market exhibited an operational pattern characterized by "raw materials under pressure, optimized supply, and stable yet supported demand." Prices that had been continuously declining gradually stopped falling and rebounded, with market sentiment recovering. Coupled with the release of downstream stocking demand ahead of the Chinese New Year, the industry widely anticipated a slight short-term price rise. Subsequently, as the supply-demand pattern tends toward balance, the market is expected to gradually stabilize.

SMM, January 26 – According to unofficial market sources, the public tender inquiry by Jingxi Daxinan Manganese Industry Co., Ltd. for the procurement of 4 tons of selenium dioxide concluded successfully today. The winning bidder is an enterprise from Hunan province, with a final transaction price of approximately 140 yuan per kilogram. Following the announcement of this successful tender, there has been a positive boost in market sentiment among suppliers of selenium dioxide. Many suppliers indicate that, amid the broad-based rise in prices for both crude selenium and selenium dioxide, the selling price for selenium dioxide is expected to continue increasing in the near future.

SMM January 26 News: According to unofficial market sources, the open inquiry and procurement of 4 mt selenium dioxide by Jingxi Da Xinan Manganese Industry Co., Ltd. today was successfully concluded through competitive bidding. The winning bidder was an enterprise from Hunan, with a final transaction price of around 140 yuan/kg. The successful tender news has had a positive impact on the quotation sentiment of selenium dioxide suppliers in the current market. Many market suppliers indicated that with the comprehensive price increase of crude selenium and selenium dioxide, the selling price of selenium dioxide will continue to rise.