Chinese domestic manganese ore prices have mostly moved sideways in the past week, with some slight increases seen too. The mainstream quotations of Australian lump ore with 46 percent Mn content currently stand at $5.14/dmtu (RMB 36.5/dmtu) at China’s Tianjin port, while offers of lump ore of 48 percent Mn content are at $4.93/mtu (RMB 35/dmtu). Also at Tianjin port, quotations for 44 percent grade Mn ore from Gabon are at $5.07/dmtu (RMB 36/dmtu), while offers of South African lump ore of 38 percent Mn content are at $4.86/dmtu (RMB 34.5/dmtu). （$1 = RMB 7.103）
Overall trading activity in the domestic manganese ore market has been slack during the past week. Foreign manganese ore producers’ quoted prices have remained at high levels, causing some traders to choose to slightly raise their quoted prices. However, since the downstream manganese alloy market is characterized by a weak tendency, most traders have kept their prices stable in order to close more deals. As for the week ahead, it is believed that manganese ore prices may follow a mostly stable trend amid the slow recovery of demand.