China's manganese ore prices stay under pressure

Manganese ore prices in China eased during the week of May 13-19, with the price of South Africa-origin 36.5% grade manganese ore at North China's Tianjin port under Mysteel's assessment standing at Yuan 38.2/dmtu ($5.6/t) including the 13% VAT on May 19, slipping by Yuan 0.6/dmtu from one week before.

Sentiment in the domestic market has softened, as major overseas mines cut their offers of manganese ore for shipments to China in June. Meanwhile, manganese alloy smelters are trying to lower their buying prices of manganese ore to reduce their smelting costs, given the weakness of silicomanganese (SiMn) prices