Manganese highlights

摘要

Manganese alloy markets are lacing ample supply brought on by production increases last year in advance of growth in crude steel production. While we believe this excess supply is compromising potential manganese alloy pricing gains, we are seeing improvement in prices in certain markets as regional inventories have been drawn down and steelmakers continue to purchase material, although it may not be at impressive levels. We expect to see prices generally trending stable over the next month. Output will be gradually increasing as northern hemisphere energy shortages draw to an end and producers return idled furnaces to production, while demand from steelmakers should improve with the start of the northern hemisphere spring construction season.