China Mn3O4 Output In August And Forecast For September

SHANGHAI, Sep 12 (SMM) –In August, China’s trimanganese tetraoxide (Mn3O4) output was 8,200 mt (including 4,100 mt of electronics-grade Mn3O4 and 4,200 mt of battery-grade Mn3O4), down 20% MoM and 34.56% YoY. The output totalled 85,500 mt from January to August, a year-on-year decrease of 13.45%. The output reduction in August was mainly reflected in battery-grade Mn3O4, whose demand faltered as a result of massive production cuts by LMO plants. Production of electronics-grade Mn3O4 barely changed and the failure to grow was because policy stimulus in real estate market has not yet trickled into home appliance sector.

Since market players are not particularly optimistic about market outlook in September this year, production of electronics-grade Mn3O4 may barely grow and will basically hold flat with August instead. As for battery-grade Mn3O4, its demand looks likely to remain slack in September. We see domestic Mn3O4 output at 8,000 mt in September.