Electrolytic Manganese FOB Prices in China: February 6 Reference

Electrolytic Manganese Metal and the Basis Behind Every FOB Quotation

Electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) is the refined manganese unit used to trim manganese content in special steels, aluminium alloys and battery cathode chemistries. Unlike ore or sinter, it trades on a guaranteed metal analysis and a defined particle form, so an FOB quotation is only meaningful when it is read together with the Mn content, the packaging and the shipment window. The reference figures below are FOB China indications for February 6, expressed in US dollars per metric ton, split into a quotation band and the band at which transactions were reported.

Reading the Snapshot: Why the Two Price Columns Differ

The quotation column is the asking band published by sellers at the start of the session; the transaction column records the band at which cargo actually changed hands. On this date the 99.70% Mn flake market cleared at 2290 - 2350 USD/t, roughly 10 USD/t below the top of the asking band, which signals a balanced rather than a tight market. Manganese ingot behaved differently: the 95# grade transacted at 2350 - 2390 USD/t, partly above its quotation band, because ingot supply is thinner than flake supply and buyers who need a solid, low-dust form for alloy addition pay a form premium rather than a chemistry premium. For procurement planning, the spread between flake and 97# ingot on the same day was about 100 USD/t at the mid-point, and that spread is the number to monitor when a furnace is switching between charge designs.

Grades, Analysis and the YB/T 051 Framework

Electrolytic manganese metal sold on the Chinese export market is normally produced against YB/T 051, the industry standard for the product, which grades the metal by minimum manganese content. The top commercial grades sit at 99.8% and 99.7% Mn, and a 99.5% Mn grade covers general steelmaking deoxidation duty. Buyers should note that the "99.70%" in the table above is the guaranteed minimum, not a nominal figure: typical delivered analysis is slightly above the guarantee, and the certificate of analysis should be read on a dry basis. Elemental limits that matter in practice are iron, selenium and sulphur. Selenium is deliberately kept low for grades intended for battery or welding consumable routes, and sulphur must be controlled where the EMM feeds a low-sulphur steel specification. Both are routine line items on a batch certificate and should be requested at the sampling stage, not at the port.

Cost Drivers That Move EMM FOB Quotes

Three inputs dominate the FOB level. First is the manganese ore feed: electrolytic manganese consumes selenium dioxide and sulphuric acid, so ore cost and reagent cost move the floor. Second is electricity, because the electrolytic route is power intensive; seasonal power pricing in producing regions shifts offer levels before any change in demand appears. Third is freight and container availability, which affects FOB less than CFR but still influences how sellers set a firm-validity window. Because the three drivers are not correlated, weekly FOB indications can move in steps even when steel demand is flat, and a two-week firm offer is usually the practical compromise between price risk and shipment certainty.

Purchasing and Inspection Notes

For a clean purchase, fix four things in the contract: the guaranteed Mn minimum, the particle size band, the packing unit, and the analytical method to be used in case of dispute. A common packing pattern is 1 MT jumbo bags with an inner liner for flake, while ingot is usually packed in 1 MT bags or in drums when a customer needs a moisture-governed feed. Third-party inspection at the loading port, covering sampling and an independent assay of the sealed sample, is the standard protection for both sides; retention samples should be kept by buyer and seller for the same period. Where a smelter needs a very specific aluminium or nitrogen response, a trial lot of 20 - 50 t before a full order is the cheapest way to validate the material in the mill rather than in a laboratory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between 99.70% electrolytic manganese flake and manganese ingot?
A: The chemistry is similar, but flake is a thin electrolytic deposit with a high surface area and dissolves quickly in the ladle, while ingot is cast into a solid form that is preferred where dust generation or oxidation losses must be limited.

Q: Which grades does YB/T 051 cover?
A: YB/T 051 covers electrolytic manganese metal graded by minimum manganese content, with the top commercial grades at 99.8% and 99.7% Mn and a 99.5% Mn grade for general deoxidation duty.

Q: Why did 95# ingot trade above its published quotation band?
A: Ingot availability is thinner than flake availability, so buyers who require the solid form accept a form premium; on low-volume days the transaction band can print above the initial asking band.

Q: What analysis items should appear on the certificate?
A: Manganese (minimum), iron, selenium, sulphur, moisture and screen size fraction should all be reported, with the sampling method stated so that buyer and seller can compare results on the same basis.

Q: How long is an FOB China indication normally valid?
A: Most producers quote firm for a limited window, commonly several days to two weeks, because ore, power and freight inputs can reprice before the shipment is fixed.

Q: Are the prices in the table guaranteed contract prices?
A: No. They are market reference bands collected for a single session and are intended for budgeting and comparison work, not as an offer or as a substitute for a negotiated contract price.