Manganese: Overview
Why demand moves in step with steel output
What this tab covers What the commodity is used for, why, in what volumes and with what alternatives, and its chain from mine or field to end user. Also the latest price moves, top recent news, three things to know, and buttons into each tab.Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel for building and construction (rebar, sections, plate) | 43% | about 8.6 Mt Mn contentbasis | Every tonne of steel needs manganese to remove oxygen and sulphur and to add strength and toughness; construction steel is the largest steel market. USGS says manganese has no satisfactory substitute in its major uses, so demand moves with steel output, especially in China and India. EU CRM study 2023, manganese end-use shares (EU); USGS MCS 2026, Manganese | Aluminium and silicon as deoxidisers (partial, not for strength) Calcium or rare-earth treatment for sulphur control (partial) Timber, concrete or aluminium in place of steel (at the end-use level) |
| Steel for vehicles and other transport (cars, ships, rail) | 20% | about 4 Mt Mn contentbasis | Advanced high-strength and TWIP steels for car bodies carry more manganese, and rail and shipbuilding steels use manganese for wear resistance. Hadfield steel (about 12% Mn) lines rail crossings and crusher jaws. EU CRM study 2023, manganese end-use shares (EU) | Aluminium and silicon as deoxidisers (partial, not for strength) Aluminium and carbon-fibre body panels (at the end-use level) |
| Steel for machinery and engineering | 16% | about 3.2 Mt Mn contentbasis | Gears, shafts, pressure vessels and heavy equipment use manganese-bearing alloy steels for hardenability. Silicomanganese is the standard alloy addition because it deoxidises cheaply. EU CRM study 2023, manganese end-use shares (EU) | Chromium and molybdenum (for hardenability, partial) Aluminium and silicon as deoxidisers (partial, not for strength) |
| Metalware and fabricated products (including 200-series stainless) | 14% | about 2.8 Mt Mn contentbasis | Wire, fasteners, tubes, utensils and appliances use manganese steels. In India and China, low-nickel 200-series stainless steel replaces part of the nickel with manganese, making cheap kitchenware and pipes. EU CRM study 2023, manganese end-use shares (EU) | Nickel for austenite stability in stainless (300-series instead of 200-series) Aluminium and plastics (at the end-use level) |
| Batteries, chemicals and other non-steel uses | n/a | n/a basis | Electrolytic manganese dioxide is the cathode of alkaline cells. High-purity manganese sulphate feeds NMC and LMFP lithium-ion cathodes, a growing use. Smaller volumes go to aluminium can alloys, fertilisers, animal feed and brick colourants (USGS). EU CRM study 2023, manganese end-use shares (EU); USGS MCS 2026, Manganese | Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathodes, which use no manganese Nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) cathodes Lithium primary cells instead of alkaline |
From mine to user
- Mining Sedimentary ore of 35-54% Mn is mined in South Africa's Kalahari field, Gabon (Moanda), Ghana, Australia (Groote Eylandt), Brazil and India; world output was 20 Mt Mn content in 2025e (USGS).
- Beneficiation Crushing, screening, washing and dense-media separation lift grade; fines are sintered. Ore is sold as lump or sinter by Mn grade, often 37% or 44%.
- Rail and sea transport Kalahari ore is railed to South African ports; South Africa supplied 83.4% of world ore export value in 2024 (UN Comtrade). China took 65.3% of imports and India 16.4%.
- Ferroalloy smelting Submerged-arc electric furnaces smelt ore with coke and quartzite into high-carbon ferromanganese (74-95% Mn) or silicomanganese (USGS). India exported 48.2% of world ferromanganese by value in 2024 (UN Comtrade).
- Steelmaking Alloys are added at the converter or ladle; high-strength steel can carry about 1.7% Mn (Conway, Material World, 2023).
- Specialty products Ore or alloy is leached and electrolysed into electrolytic manganese metal, manganese dioxide and high-purity sulphate for batteries and chemicals, mostly in China.
- End use and recycling Steel goes into buildings, vehicles and machines; manganese returns only inside steel scrap and slag, and EU end-of-life recycling input is 9% (EU CRM 2023).
Price movement snapshot 2026-10-25
No public daily or monthly benchmark price for this commodity in the datasets used.
World production 18.8 m tonnes, 2024 Largest producer South Africa 39.16% of world Reserve life 90 yrs reserves ÷ 2025 outputThree things to know
- US mines have produced no ore containing 20% or more manganese since 1970 (USGS).
- South Africa accounts for an estimated 70% of the world's manganese resources (USGS).
- Mushet's 1856 patent added manganese-rich spiegel iron to Bessemer steel, removing oxygen and making the process practical (Smil).
Top recent news snapshot 2026-10-25, last 30 days
- Manganese Sulphate Q3 2026 Price ReviewBenchmark Mineral Intelligence · 2026-10-02
- Fastmarkets proposes to launch electrolytic manganese flake, cif Rotterdam price assessmentFastmarkets · 2026-10-08
- Sandur Manganese sets up subsidiary to manufacture medical devicesBusiness Standard · 2026-09-28
- India's manganese ore import prices gain w-o-w on firmer global price indicationsBigMint · 2026-10-04
- MOIL raises manganese ore prices by 5% for OctoberCNBC TV18 · 2026-10-01