SHANGHAI, Sep 2 (SMM) – South32 offered South African semi-carbonate manganese ore with 36% Mn at $4.35/mtu, for October delivery to China, up $0.55/mtu month on month.

Brazilian manganese ore lumps were quoted at $4-4.2/mtu for 44-45% Mn products, and $3.8/mtu for 40-42% Mn products, for August, according to SMM assessments.

Tshipi offered South African semi-carbonate manganese ore with 36% Mn, for July delivery to China, at $4.5/mtu, down $0.45/mtu from the first round of offers and down $1.05/mtu month on month. 

Mining company Comilog offered manganese ore originating from Gabon for July delivery, with a grade of 44.5% Mn, at $5.1/mtu for Chinese consumers, down $0.33/mtu from offers for June, SMM learned on June 10. 

The most-active silicon manganese contract for May delivery on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (CZCE) surged to its maximum daily limit of 6% to a nearly seven-month high of 6,950 yuan/mt on March 26, as a nationwide lockdown of major ore supplier South Africa exacerbated supply woes. South Africa has imposed a 21-day nationwide lockdown from midnight on Thursday, in a bid to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

About 1.2 million mt of manganese ore production in South Africa is expected to be affected by the 21-day nationwide lockdown aimed at containing the coronavirus, a local trader estimates. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the three-week lockdown on Monday March 23, including closing mines, starting from midnight Thursday March 26.

At Tianjin port, Australian manganese ore was mostly offered at 41-42 yuan/mtu as of December 27

As of Jun 26, some producers hiked offers to 7,600 yuan/mt, ex-work in cash

This is likely to reduce domestic reliance on imported manganese ore

As of the end of May, manganese ore at Tianjin port stood at 3.05 million mt, up 854,000 mt from the end of Apr