Hot Metal Production Continues to Decline, Mainly Affected by Accident at One Steel Mill

According to SMM research, as of the 12th of March, total iron ore inventories across the 10 major ports surveyed stood at 118.99 million tonnes, an increase of 1.08 million tonnes compared to the previous week. Within this total, inventories of coarse fines and lump ore saw a marginal decrease, while stocks of concentrate and pellets continued to accumulate.

This week, China's manganese-based battery materials market showed a differentiated operating trend: battery-grade Mn3O4 prices dropped back slightly, EMD prices edged up slightly, and LMO remained in a weak balance amid the tug-of-war between sellers and buyers. Although the three major products showed different trends, all were supported by the cost side. Overall, the market was mainly stable in the short term, with limited room for wild swings, as the industry gradually transitioned from the post-holiday resumption period to a phase of steady operations......

[SMM Steel] India’s Jindal Steel secured the Rengalaberha North-East Extension and Nuagan West iron ore block in Odisha through a state auction, offering a 111.15% premium over the base price. The mine is estimated to hold around 38 million tonnes of reserves, including about 29 mt of high-grade iron ore with Fe content near 60%, while the overall average grade is 57.87% Fe.