Increased South African exports of semi-carbonate manganese ore are filling up inventories at Chinese ports, according to market sources.
Fastmarkets assessed the manganese ore inventories at the main Chines ports of Tianjin and Qinzhou at 5.65-5.87 million tonnes on Monday August 2, up from 5.32-5.60 million tonnes a month earlier, but down from 6.35-6.46 million tonnes at the start of 2021.
But these numbers do not reflect the shift in the composition of the inventories.
According to market sources, inventories of high-grade lump are being depleted, while semi-carbonate inventories are growing due to increased...