South Africa: Manganese ore exports fall over 6% in CY22 amid sluggish demand

South Africa's manganese ore exports decreased by 6% y-o-y to 20.74 million tonnes (mnt) in calendar year 2022 (CY22) compared to 22.10 mnt in CY21. The decrease in exports last year was due to high inventories in key markets and fall in demand for manganese alloys. The increase in prices of manganese ore also resulted in purchasers showing low interest in exports in December 2022.

Moreover, South Africa's exports were impacted by the backlogs and delays in delivery due to challenges in road, rail, and port operations. There had been significant flooding in the state of KwaZulu-Natal in the last few months, which affected Durban, a crucial export outlet for manganese and other ferro alloys products, in particular.
The major importing countries were China (over 13.4 mnt), followed by India (2.6 mnt), and Singapore (0.74 mnt).

Meanwhile, in December 2022, exports dropped 7% y-o-y to 1.49 mnt compared to the corresponding month in 2021.

• Exports to China drop 2%: Manganese ore imports by China decreased by 2% in CY22. China decreased production of manganese alloys to offset the losses incurred through the year as the price of manganese ore rose and the demand for alloy steel decreased.
  
  
• Exports to India down 22%: India imported 2.60 mnt of manganese ore CY22, a decrease of 22% y-o-y. A low global demand led manufacturers to reduce production volume and some mills were put on maintenance. Buyers were looking for lower prices. As a result, the volume of imports fell throughout the year.
  
  
• Exports to South Korea down 19%: South African manganese ore exports to South Korea decreased by 19% y-o-y to 0.57 mnt in CY22.