Manganese Market Update (March 29, 2012)

By Robert Young – Exclusive to Manganese Investing News

Manganese flake prices continued on the same track since the beginning of the year. The beginning price of $2,875 per metric ton has remained on the line averaging $2,869 per metric ton.

The supply of manganese has dropped as some producers have slowed production down due to sluggish market conditions and small profit margins.

Exports from China are being offered at $3,050-3,100/tonne, while legitimate exports are nominal due to the availability of less expensive material possibly from Zambia.

In January, Chinese legitimate exports of manganese, mostly in the form of flakes and lumps, fell almost 61 percent to 3,040 tonnes in January this year, year-on-year, according to official Customs data.

China exported 11,005 tonnes of briquettes in January, although its export volume was small compared with flakes and lumps in recent years.