SMM data showed that SiMn alloy production in China in December totalled 843,500 mt, down 8.92% MoM and 2.02% YoY, bringing total output from January to December 2023 up to about 11.2955 million mt, up 12.95% YoY. SiMn alloy plants in northern China, like in Inner Mongolia, kept the operating rate stable, except for some due to power rationing. However, the actual output changed little. In Ningxia, weak costs and air pollution alert curbed SiMn alloy production. In southern China, a large output slip was felt from impact of falling price.
In January, SiMn alloy plants in areas with cost advantages such as Inner Mongolia will keep production stable, while SiMn alloy plants in other regions will have falling production enthusiasm due to issues of costs and logistics transportation. SiMn alloy output may keep dipping to some 794,500 mt in January amid delayed restart and production cutbacks.
