[SMM data] the total export volume of manganese metal decreased by 16.89% in April from the previous month, and the performance of overseas inquiries increased in the second quarter.

According to the latest release by the General Administration of Customs, SMM statistics show that the total export volume of unwrought manganese, scrap, powder and forged manganese and manganese products was 38869 tons in April 2020, 16.89% lower than the total export volume in March, of which unwrought manganese in April was 35528 tons, 10.34% lower than in March, and forged manganese and manganese products in April were 3341 tons, 53% lower than in March. (table 1)

The top five countries importing unwrought manganese in April were South Korea (8696 tons), the Russian Federation (8644 tons), Japan (5915 tons), the Netherlands (4221 tons) and Belgium (1280 tons). The top five countries with imports of forged manganese and manganese products in April were India (1750 tons), South Korea (693tons), Turkey (200tons), the United States (200tons) and Canada (200tons).

In addition, according to overseas news reports on May 28th, with the Indian government's decision to restart economic activities in stages, two companies under the Jindal stainless Steel Group of India have successively resumed production suspended due to the new crown virus epidemic. Among them, (JSL) of India Jindal stainless Steel Co., Ltd. resumed the operation of its (Odisha) Jajpur plant in Orissa in stages on May 5th, and (JSHL) of Jindal stainless Steel (Hisar) Co., Ltd. of India also resumed the operation of (Haryana) Hisar plant in Haryana State in stages on May 7th. The two companies will also improve their operations accordingly according to market conditions.

SMM believes that India is one of the main destination countries for China's metal manganese exports. In the second quarter, due to the gradual relief of the epidemic, India gradually resumed the production of steel mills in various regions, and it is expected that domestic metal manganese exports may gradually increase. India, as one of the main export destinations of metal manganese in China, imported 2804 tons of metal manganese in April, a decrease of 61.85% compared with March. If steel mills in various regions of India resume production later, The demand for manganese metal may increase. Some foreign traders said there was a slight increase in overseas orders in the second quarter, but it will take time for overseas steel mills to resume operation, so most companies say they are expected to boost the later changes in overseas demand.