World silico-manganese production down 4.5% m-o-m in November – IMnI

Global silico-manganese output dropped by 4.5% month on month in November 2020 to 1.5 million tonnes, due to production cuts in Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States region, according to the latest data from the International Manganese Institute (IMnI).

Worldwide supply in November was up on an annual basis by 9.5%, but total production for the first 11 months of 2020 dropped by 4.7% year on year.

Output from the Asia and Oceania region came in at 1.29 million tonnes in November, down by 5% from with October but up 10% year on year.

The CIS region produced 107,000 tonnes of silico-manganese in November, 3% lower than in October and up 5% from November 2019.

In the January-November period, output from the CIS region dropped 16% year on year due to production cuts in Kazakhstan and Ukraine offsetting increases in Russia and Georgia, the IMnI said.

Silico-manganese prices were relatively stable in November, with the exception of the Indian market which dipped sharply mid-month, before correcting higher amid renewed demand.

Fastmarkets’ silico-manganese 65% Mn min, min 16% Si, fob India price finished November at $880-900 per tonne, compared with $860-890 on October 30 and after trading as low as $850-860 per tonne on November 13.

World demand for silico-manganese in November dropped by 3.3% month on month to 1.49 million tonnes, although that figure also represented an increase of 8.3% year on year.

For the first 11 months of 2020, world demand was down by just under 1%.

The bulk of November’s demand for the alloy came from the Asia and Oceania region at 1.24 million tonnes, down 5% against October and up 9% compared with November 2019.

The report did not provide total year-to-date supply and demand figures.

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