SMM NiCoLiMn Summit: China’s manganese market to be in balance from 2019

YIBIN, Apr 29 (SMM) – China’s manganese market would likely be in steady supply and demand balance from 2019, said Liu Yuqiao, analyst from SMM.

The average price of electrolytic manganese for 2019 is expected to stand around 13,000 yuan/mt. Growing costs is expected to lift the price to 13,500 yuan/mt in 2021, Liu delegates at the SMM Nickel-Cobalt-Lithium-Manganese Summit on Monday April 29 in Yibin, Sichuan province.

Monthly production of manganese in China have been stable since October as a major producer in the north kept its operations in check.

Manganese output in Indonesia is expected to meet its demand after Tsingshan’s capacity comes online. This is expected to slow the growth of exports from China, with the compound annual rate standing at some 2%. China’s exports of electrolytic manganese are estimated to register 500,000 mt.

Output of domestic manganese ore will likely remain under pressure, while Ghana’s materials will help supply China’s consumption. Costs for manganese ore are expected to continue to grow with Ghanaian government seeking more benefits.