Recently, China's EMM market displayed a distinct dual pattern of "strong cost support with loosening at highs," with intensifying industry supply-demand and cost dynamics.

According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics showed that China's total manganese ore imports in March 2026 were 3.1837 million mt, up 38.03% MoM and up 64.86% YoY. Total manganese ore imports from January to March 2026 were approximately 8.9327 million mt, up 3.0717 million mt YoY (approximately 5.8611 million mt imported from January to March 2025), up 52.41% YoY. In March, imports by origin were: Australia (395,700 mt, down 4.2% MoM), South Africa (1.8537 million mt, up 87.16% MoM), Gabon (452,300 mt, up 20.58% MoM), Ghana (196,700 mt, down 27.26% MoM), Brazil (94,800 mt, down 4.91% MoM), and Myanmar (53,900 mt, up 7.99% MoM).

【SMM Steel】A cyclone that earlier hit Australia's northeast is now threatening LNG and mining ops in the west. System Narelle is expected to intensify as it moves parallel to the Pilbara coast. It threatens key LNG facilities and iron ore mines. Ports are clearing vessels. Australia, the top iron ore exporter, remains vulnerable. Narelle earlier forced closures of bauxite and manganese mines.

March 13 News: Northern ports: South African high-grade ore, 32.5-35.4 yuan/mtu, prices up WoW from last Friday; South African semi-carbonate, 38.9-39.4 yuan/mtu, prices up WoW from last Friday; Gabon ore, 44.3-44.9 yuan/mtu, prices up WoW from last Friday; 46% Australian lumps, 44.9-45.4 yuan/mtu, prices up WoW from last Friday. South China ports: South African high-grade ore, 33-33.5 yuan/mtu, prices flat WoW from last Friday; South African semi-carbonate, 35.9-36.4 yuan/mtu, prices up WoW from last Friday; Gabon ore, 42-42.5 yuan/mtu, prices flat WoW from last Friday; 46% Australian lumps, 43.4-43.9 yuan/mtu, prices flat WoW from last Friday.

Feb. 26: The SM2605 contract opened at 5,748 yuan/mt and closed at 5,918 yuan/mt, up 2.85%, with the highest price at 5,968 yuan/mt and the lowest at 5,740 yuan/mt. Trading volume was 722,600 lots, and open interest stood at 451,708 lots. Futures showed an upward trend. Cost side, frequent news from manganese mines continues to stimulate the manganese ore market to hold up well. Regional divergence in electricity costs is significant, becoming a key factor affecting the competitiveness of alloy plants in different production areas. Electricity prices in northern production areas are expected to remain low, offering notable cost advantages, while the main production areas in south China see no downside room for electricity prices. The coking coal and coke markets overall remain in the doldrums, exerting a mild impact on SiMn costs. Supply side, SiMn supply diverges between the north and south markets. On one hand, some alloy plants in Inner Mongolia still have expectations to start production or resume production, which will lead to an increase in SiMn capacity release and gradually highlight supply-side pressure, likely restraining price increases. On the other hand, most SiMn producers in the south face difficulties resuming production due to rising costs from raised electricity pricing policies. Demand side, the mainstream steel tender prices for February have not been announced, and the market is watching for the impact of tender pricing on the market.

Formation and Characteristics of Manganese Carbonate Ore: Manganese carbonate ore primarily forms in deep underground rocks, with its main component being manganese carbonate, also known as rhodochrosite. This type of ore belongs to the carbonate category and is easily distinguishable from other ores. It typically appears in bait-like, granular, massive, or nodular forms, with colors ranging from grayish-black to rose. After oxidation, it turns dark brown. Its hardness ranges from 3.5 to 4.5, and its density ranges from 3.6 to 3.7...

According to the Mining Journal, Gabon will ban the export of manganese ore to enhance its value chain. Last weekend, the Gabon government announced that it would prohibit the export of manganese ore starting from January 1, 2029. Gabon is the world's second-largest exporter of manganese ore after South Africa. Manganese is primarily used in steel production as an alloy material for stainless steel. A small amount is used in aluminum production and agriculture, and a tiny fraction is used in battery production, where it can serve as a cathode substitute for cobalt. Policy Shift In response to the news, manganese producer Eramet stated on Monday that it would cooperate with the government on the basis of consultation, joint construction, and mutual respect. "This move is one of the government's measures to consolidate the industrial base," Eramet said. Currently, the Gabon government has committed to implementing industrial and economic policy reforms. Eramet operates a large manganese mine in Moanda through its joint venture, Comilog. "Eramet will continue to monitor this policy shift and will seek further opportunities for cooperation to contribute to Gabon's long-term economic development while maintaining the continuous operation of its mining and metals business," Eramet said. "In particular, Eramet aims to preserve the strategic position of Comilog and Setrag as internationally significant manganese suppliers to the global steel industry, as well as the 10,460 jobs they provide in Gabon." Local Processing Gabon is the latest country to restrict the export of raw materials to support local processing. In 2020, Indonesia banned the export of nickel ore, leading to a surge in the country's smelting capacity. Subsequently, Zimbabwe began banning the export of lithium ore, although this failed to bring about a domestic processing industry. Gabon does not have a domestic steel industry to absorb the manganese ore that cannot be exported, but it can enhance its value chain by focusing on the production of ferromanganese alloys. Its intermediate product is high-manganese ferroalloy, with a small amount used in stainless steel production.

According to a report on Mining.com, Aftermath Silver, a Canadian exploration company, has encountered shallow mineralization at its Berenguela silver-copper-manganese mine in Peru, laying the groundwork for an update to its resource estimates. In its report on Monday, the company stated that hole AFD129 intersected 12.35 meters of ore at a depth of 2.4 meters, with a silver grade of 302 g/mt, copper content of 0.66%, and manganese content of 10.64%. Hole AFD130 intersected 35.55 meters of ore from the surface, with a silver grade of 322 g/mt, copper content of 0.58%, and manganese content of 6.88%. Within this, an intersection of 7.1 meters was encountered at a depth of 24.2 meters, with a silver grade of 1,174 g/mt, copper content of 0.8%, and manganese content of 11.14%. Currently, the company is conducting Phase II drilling, planning to complete 82 diamond drill holes totaling 5,200 meters. The sample analysis results for the final 11 holes will be released soon, the company said. "Our latest drilling results have extended the known mineralization to the north-central area, beyond the previously delineated resource boundaries," stated CEO Ralph Rushton. "We have also discovered strong manganese mineralization at the easternmost part of the resource area, where there has been little previous drilling. We will incorporate the latest results into the ongoing resource update." Historical mapping and resource models indicate that the orebody extends approximately 1,300 meters along strike. Recent drilling has extended the orebody to at least 1,550 meters along strike, with a maximum width of 400 meters in the center, 250 meters in the west, and a 50-meter offset between the central and western sections. The drill holes intersect the orebody at a steep angle, so the above thicknesses are essentially true thicknesses. Berenguela may potentially be an open-pitable silver-copper-manganese mine in the southern Puno region of Peru. The company aims to produce silver, copper, and battery-grade or fertilizer-grade manganese products. The mine is located approximately 6 kilometers from highways, railways, and power lines, and is a 4-hour drive from the city of Arequipa via a paved road.

2025 The 3rd China (Jiangxi) International Green Mining Expo The 3rd China (Jiangxi) International Green Mining Expo 2025 Date: November 3-5, 2025 Venue: Nanchang Greenland International Expo Center [Exhibition Introduction] Jiangxi Province boasts superior metallogenic geological conditions and abundant mineral resources, making it one of China's important bases for non-ferrous, rare, rare earth, and uranium minerals, with a relatively high degree of mineral resource integration. Jiangxi's seven major mineral resources, including copper, tungsten, rare earth, uranium, tantalum-niobium, gold, and silver, are known as the "Seven Golden Flowers." Among them, tungsten and ion-adsorption rare earth ores hold significant positions in the global mining industry, earning Jiangxi the titles of "World Tungsten Capital" and "Rare Earth Kingdom." The non-ferrous metal industry is Jiangxi's only traditional advantageous industry exceeding 500 billion yuan, serving as the "ballast stone" of Jiangxi's manufacturing sector and its largest pillar industry. Jiangxi is also the largest non-ferrous metal province in China. According to Jiangxi's "2+6+N" industrial high-quality leapfrog development action plan, the province's non-ferrous metal industry is expected to achieve a main business income of one trillion yuan. This mining expo is planned to cover an exhibition area of 30,000 m², with over 500 participating enterprises and more than 50,000 professional visitors. Invited renowned enterprises include BHP, Nonferrous Mining, Baosteel Group, Codelco, China Gold, Zijin Mining, Minmetals, Ansteel Mining, Western Mining Co., Ltd., Zhaojin Mining, Yuxi Dahongshan Mining, Silvercorp Metals, Caterpillar, FLSmidth, Liebherr, TAKRAF, Normet, Epiroc, Siemens, Metso Outotec, XCMG, Valin, Tongling Nonferrous Metals, Fujian Metallurgy, Chalco, Weir Minerals, GE, Mitsubishi Electric, Shenyang LONGi, Liming Heavy Industry, and other domestic and overseas mining producers and equipment manufacturers. To support the healthy and sustainable development of Jiangxi's mining industry in the new era and accelerate the widespread application of new products, technologies, and equipment, the 3rd China (Jiangxi) International Green Mining Expo will be held at the Nanchang Greenland International Expo Center from November 3 to 5, 2025. Government leaders, experts, scholars, corporate executives, and association leaders will be invited to analyze industry development trends, explore new momentum, and seek development ideas, jointly creating a global mining cooperation platform of "innovation, cooperation, development, and win-win." [ Invited Visitors and Sources ] Over 20 domestic government agencies and industry associations—from iron ore, non-ferrous metal mines, gold mines, rare earth mines, manganese mines, non-metallic mines, chemical minerals, cement mines, coal mines, etc. Nearly 3,000 professional buyers from over 30 countries—including Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, the US, etc. Over 300 mining design institutes and mining engineering contractors—including Beijing General Research Institute of Mining & Metallurgy, Changsha Institute of Mining Research, Sinosteel Maanshan Institute of Mining Research, MCC Group, China ENFI, China Nonferrous Metal Industry's Foreign Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd., China Nerin, Kunming Metallurgical Research Institute, Handan and Xingtai Mining and Metallurgy Research Institute, Anshan Metallurgical Design and Research Institute, MCC Northern, MCC Changtian, MCC Capital, 15th Metallurgical Construction Group, Changchun Gold Research Institute, Kunming Nonferrous Metals Research Institute, Changsha Mining and Metallurgy Research Institute, etc. [ Concurrent Events ] 2025 China Green Mining Development Forum 2025 Asia Smart Mining Development Forum 2025 Global Mining Sustainable Development Forum 2025 Mining Digital Intelligence High-Quality Development Summit [ Exhibition Scope ] Large mining enterprise image display, metal mineral products, non-metallic mineral products, mineral product trade, mine planning, engineering design, construction units, mining rights trading, mining rights investment and financing cooperation, government and industry institutions, etc. Geological (mining) exploration technology and equipment: geophysical exploration, geochemical exploration, aerial survey and remote sensing, surveying and mapping, geological data processing, mineral product analysis, laboratory instruments. Mining technology and equipment: excavation equipment, drilling and blasting equipment, loading equipment, transportation equipment (excavators, loaders, underground mining vehicles, mining dump trucks), lifting equipment, drilling, construction machinery, etc. Mineral processing equipment: crushing equipment, screening equipment, mine grinding equipment, conveying equipment (hydraulic transmission equipment), etc. Mineral beneficiation technology and equipment: flotation equipment, magnetic separation equipment, gravity separation equipment, electrostatic separation equipment, classification equipment, thickening equipment, filtration equipment, beneficiation reagents, and other mining chemicals. Mineral smelting technology and equipment: hydrometallurgy, electrolytic smelting technology and equipment, pyrometallurgy, high-temperature metallurgy technology and equipment, etc. Mining environmental protection and energy-saving equipment: tailings filling and treatment equipment; mining pumps and valves; mining waste and wastewater treatment; ventilation, dust removal equipment; digital mines, mining electrical, mining communication, mining logistics, etc. [Media Promotion] China Mining News, Natural Resources News, Jiangxi Daily, Jiangxi TV Economic Channel, Dajiang Net Finance Channel, Jiangxi Net, China.com, China Daily Net, China Finance Net, and 65 other authoritative financial media; Sohu, NetEase, Toutiao, and 10 other mass self-media platforms; China Mining Net, China Excavator Net, Smart Mining Online, Green Intelligent Mining Net, Metal Processing, and 53 other leading professional media, along with 180 other industry-related professional media; Baidu Promotion, 360 Promotion, and other online search platforms comprehensively cover key word search customers; [Exhibition Details] ★ Standard booth (3m×3m): Domestic enterprises: RMB 9,800/booth; Foreign enterprises: RMB 15,800/booth; ★ International brand booth (9 m², luxury decoration): RMB 12,800/booth; Foreign enterprises: RMB 18,800/booth; ★ Indoor bare space (starting from 36 m²): Domestic enterprises: RMB 1,000/m²; Foreign enterprises: RMB 2,000/m²; Booth equipment: two light tubes, one wastebasket, display board, header board, one table and two chairs, air conditioning, lighting, security, cleaning, etc. Note: Bare space does not provide any exhibition facilities, and special decoration management fees and utility fees charged by the venue are the responsibility of the exhibitor and their special decoration contractor. [Organizing Committee Secretariat] Contact: Jia Song, 150-9306-7551 (WeChat), 138-3921-4033 (WeChat)

Most manganese mines globally are facing the issue of gradually depleting resources.