Manganese Price Trend and Forecast 2026-2027

China paid the most for manganese in Q2 2026: USD 2,189/MT, up 1.8% from USD 2,151 in Q1. The steady steelmaking-alloy demand kept things firm there. Worldwide, the average moved up 1.8%, to USD 1,903/MT from USD 1,869, largely because the manganese ore feedstock costs kept climbing across every region we track. What about H2 2026? We'd expect a global average somewhere in the USD 1,880-2,040/MT range, with the steady steelmaking-alloy demand doing most of the work.

This report tracks refined and alloy manganese products, electrolytic metal, ferromanganese, and silicomanganese, rather than raw ore. South Africa, Australia, and Gabon together account for the large majority of world manganese ore mining, while China dominates the downstream smelting and alloy-production side, converting imported ore into the ferroalloys steel mills actually consume. Three things move the price more than anything else: the manganese ore feedstock costs, the steelmaking demand, since manganese alloys are an essential steel additive, and how much smelting and alloy-production capacity China's producers are running.

The essential role manganese plays in steelmaking deserves particular attention, since there's genuinely no practical substitute for it in conventional steel production. Manganese removes sulfur impurities and improves the strength and hardenability of virtually every grade of steel produced worldwide, which means demand for manganese alloys tracks global steel production about as directly and inelastically as any raw material input can. That essential, non-substitutable role has kept manganese demand remarkably stable relative to broader industrial-commodity cycles, even as its pricing still responds to the same ore-cost and smelting-capacity pressures that shape other alloy markets. Buyers new to this market sometimes underestimate how much that structural detail matters until they see it play out in the pricing data over a full cycle.

China's dominant smelting position deserves a mention too, since it means the country effectively sits between the ore-mining regions and the global steel industry that ultimately consumes the finished alloys. Chinese producers import the large majority of their manganese ore from South Africa, Australia, and Gabon, then convert it into ferromanganese and silicomanganese for both domestic use and export, a processing role that's given China outsized influence over global alloy pricing even though it mines relatively little manganese ore of its own.

Manganese Price Forecast for 2026

Supply and demand should stay moderately tight through H2 2026, with the manganese ore feedstock costs doing most of the work on pricing. Australia and China both kept the steelmaking demand steady through H1, and that's likely to continue. South Africa's ore export volumes kept building as well, while Gabon's export base kept it the most affordable of the four. None of the four markets we track is showing signs of genuine disruption heading into the back half of the year.

Buyers should keep an eye on the broader global steel-production cycle specifically, since manganese demand tracks it about as directly and inelastically as any raw material input in the entire steel supply chain. That's worth building into any longer-range planning rather than assuming current conditions will simply persist unchanged.

China's smelting-capacity utilization bears watching too, since it sits between the ore-mining regions and the global steel industry, giving Chinese alloy-production decisions outsized influence over pricing everywhere.

What could push prices higher? A manganese ore feedstock spike, or a stronger-than-expected global steel-production rebound. What could pull them lower? A slowdown in steel production more broadly.

For the Quarter Ending June 2026

Manganese Prices Q2 2026:

• South Africa: USD 1,763/MT
• Australia: USD 1,903/MT
• Gabon: USD 1,732/MT
• China: USD 2,189/MT

Manganese Prices in South Africa

South Africa's manganese exporters saw firm demand this quarter, and the gain came to 1.8%, USD 1,732/MT to USD 1,763. Exporters reported no unusual supply concerns despite the steady price climb.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q2 2026 in South Africa?

The export volumes stayed steady, and the manganese ore feedstock costs firmed a bit alongside them.

Manganese Prices in Australia

Australia climbed 1.8% to USD 1,903/MT, the established mining and export base continuing to hold steady through the period.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q2 2026 in Australia?

The established mining and export base held steady, and that alone explains most of the move here.

Manganese Prices in Gabon

Gabon gained 1.8% to USD 1,732/MT, its established export base keeping it the most affordable market even as the demand firmed.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q2 2026 in Gabon?

The established export base is exactly why Gabon stayed the cheapest of the four markets even as the demand ticked up.

Manganese Prices in China

USD 2,189/MT. That's where China landed in Q2, up 1.8% from USD 2,151 in Q1. The steelmaking-alloy demand stayed firm, and the ore feedstock costs climbed just enough to push things higher.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q2 2026 in China?

The steelmaking-alloy demand held its ground, and the ore feedstock costs are really what's keeping the Chinese premium as wide as it is.

For the Quarter Ending March 2026

Manganese Prices Q1 2026:

• South Africa: USD 1,732/MT
• Australia: USD 1,869/MT
• Gabon: USD 1,701/MT
• China: USD 2,151/MT

Manganese Prices in South Africa

South African manganese rose 1.8% to USD 1,732/MT, the export demand firming as the year opened.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q1 2026 in South Africa?

The export demand firmed as the year opened, and the manganese ore feedstock costs edged higher right alongside it.

Manganese Prices in Australia

Australian manganese gained 1.8% to USD 1,869/MT, the mining and export demand firming with the new year.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q1 2026 in Australia?

The mining and export demand firmed with the new year, tracking the international steelmaking buying closely.

Manganese Prices in Gabon

Gabonese manganese climbed 1.9% to USD 1,701/MT, the export demand staying firm through the quarter.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q1 2026 in Gabon?

The export demand stayed firm, and the ore feedstock costs firmed alongside it.

Manganese Prices in China

Chinese manganese rose 1.8% to USD 2,151/MT, the steelmaking-alloy demand building through the quarter.

Why did the price of Manganese change in Q1 2026 in China?

The steelmaking-alloy demand built through the quarter, tracking the global steel-production activity closely.

Quarterly Manganese Price Trends

The global average climbed steadily across the window, from USD 1,780/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,903 by Q2 2026, a net gain of about 6.9%. Every quarter posted a gain here, reflecting the firming manganese ore feedstock costs and the steady steelmaking-alloy demand across every market we track, with the pace of the gains picking up somewhat in the most recent two quarters. That kind of steady, uninterrupted climb is worth noting, since it stands in contrast to how choppy some other commodities in this space have looked over the same period.

What was Manganese Price in 2025?

2025 was a steady year for manganese. Starting near USD 1,780/MT in Q1, the global average finished 2025 at USD 1,836, a gain of about 3.1%. The steelmaking-alloy demand held consistent all year across every market we track, before the pace of gains picked up further once 2026 got underway. The consistency of that pattern across all four regions makes this one of the more predictable industrial-alloy markets we track. Buyers who track this market closely tend to view that steady annual pattern as the baseline against which any future quarter's move should be judged.

Manganese Prices in South Africa in 2025

South African prices moved from about USD 1,650/MT in Q1 2025 to USD 1,701 by Q4, up roughly 3.1%. The export demand held steady all year.

Manganese Prices in Australia in 2025

Australian prices climbed from USD 1,780/MT in Q1 to USD 1,836 by Q4, a 3.1% gain, tracking the steady mining and export demand.

Manganese Prices in Gabon in 2025

Gabonese prices rose from USD 1,620/MT in Q1 to USD 1,670 by Q4, up 3.1%, as the export demand kept it the most affordable of the four markets throughout.

Manganese Prices in China in 2025

Chinese prices moved from USD 2,050/MT in Q1 to USD 2,113 by Q4, a 3.1% gain, the highest absolute price throughout the four markets on the dominant smelting and alloy-production demand.

How We Can Help

Expert Market Research: Your Source for Real-Time Manganese Price Intelligence

We keep a continuous eye on the manganese prices wherever it's mined, smelted, or consumed at scale, tracing causation through the manganese ore feedstock economics, the steelmaking demand, and the smelting and alloy-production capacity utilization, particularly in China. Our analysts track the global steel-production cycle closely, given how directly and inelastically manganese demand tracks it. We also flag any material shift in the underlying feedstock or trade-logistics conditions as soon as it becomes apparent. Need pricing data, bespoke market analysis, or procurement advisory? Reach out to our team.