# Manganese and Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft Vehicles take manganese two ways: inside the steel of every car, ship and rail wagon, as steel takes about 90% of manganese, and in a small but growing amount used in battery cathodes, where the high-purity sulphate comes almost entirely from China. Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/links/manganese-and-vehicles-ships-rail-aircraft/ [Manganese](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/manganese/) (commodity) and [Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/vehicles/) (industry): 3 relationships. ## How they are linked ### 1. Battery cathodes *Physical flow · Rising · Manganese to vehicle battery cathodes* Nickel-manganese-cobalt cathodes contain manganese, and manganese-rich and sodium-ion chemistries depend on high-purity manganese sulphate; the site rates manganese 5 of 5 on criticality for EV battery cell and materials makers. - **less than 1%** share of world manganese output used for batteries - **95%** China's share of high-purity manganese sulphate production, 2024 Battery use is tiny in tonnage, so it does not drive the manganese ore price, but it needs a refined high-purity sulphate that few plants outside China make. That makes the battery link a refining risk rather than an ore risk. Interest in manganese-rich and sodium-ion chemistries could lift battery demand, but from a very small base. Enterprise types that depend on it: - EV battery cell and materials makers: cathodes (criticality 5 of 5) Sources: [Material Insights](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/vehicles/materials/); [SFA (Oxford)](https://www.sfa-oxford.com/battery-metals-and-materials/markets/manganese-market-and-manganese-price-drivers/); [IEA](https://sites.utexas.edu/mineralstransition/files/2025/05/Extract_GlobalCriticalMineralsOutlook2025-compressed.pdf) ### 2. Inside vehicle steel *Physical flow · Strong · Manganese reaches vehicles through steel* Manganese is used in almost all steel to remove sulphur and oxygen and to add strength, so car bodies, ship plate, rails and wheels all carry it, and USGS finds no satisfactory substitute in its major uses. - **about 90%** steel's share of world manganese demand - **about $4.50 per mtu** average price of 44% manganese ore, CIF China, 2025 estimate, down from $5.53 in 2024 USGS notes that manganese consumption closely follows the steel industry, so vehicle production affects manganese mainly through steel demand. Ore prices fell in 2025: year-to-date spot prices for 44% ore in China were down about 22%. Enterprise types that depend on it: - EV battery cell and materials makers: cathodes (criticality 5 of 5) Sources: [SFA (Oxford)](https://www.sfa-oxford.com/battery-metals-and-materials/markets/manganese-market-and-manganese-price-drivers/); [USGS](https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-manganese.pdf) ### 3. Concentrated ore supply *Shared risk · Medium · Ore supply from South Africa and Gabon reaches steel and battery makers* Manganese ore output is concentrated in a few countries, led by South Africa and Gabon, so mine outages or export policy there affect both steelmakers and battery material refiners. - **7.6 Mt** South Africa's manganese mine output, contained manganese, 2025 estimate - **5.0 Mt** Gabon's manganese mine output, contained manganese, 2025 estimate - **2029** start of Gabon's planned ban on manganese ore exports Gabon is the second largest producer and has announced a ban on manganese ore exports from 2029, and it supplied 64% of US ore imports in 2021 to 2024, so buyers that depend on Gabonese ore face a dated change in trade routes. Sources: [USGS](https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-manganese.pdf); [USGS](https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026.pdf) ## For investors ### Key learnings 1. Manganese prices follow steel, which takes about 90% of demand, so battery demand, under 1% of output, is unlikely to move the ore price for years. 2. The battery exposure is in high-purity manganese sulphate, where China made 95% of supply in 2024, so non-Chinese sulphate capacity is the scarce part of the chain. 3. Gabon's planned 2029 ore export ban is a dated policy risk for ore traders and for alloy and sulphate plants that rely on its ore. ### What to track - **Manganese ore price, 44% Mn, CIF China**: Falls signal weak steel demand; rises signal supply disruption (Weekly · CRU, Fastmarkets, SMM) - **High-purity manganese sulphate price and non-Chinese capacity announcements**: Shows whether battery-grade supply is diversifying (Monthly · Benchmark, Fastmarkets, company filings) - **LMFP and manganese-rich cathode share of EV batteries**: A rising share increases battery demand for manganese sulphate (Annual · IEA Global EV Outlook) ## For policymakers ### Key learnings 1. India mines manganese ore, about 790,000 t of contained manganese in 2025, but ore alone does not secure battery-grade sulphate, which needs refining capacity. 2. Because manganese sits inside all steel, India's steel expansion will raise its manganese needs far more than EV batteries will. 3. Producer-country moves to ban raw ore exports, such as Gabon's from 2029, push importers to secure supply through processing partnerships. ### What to track - **India's manganese ore output and imports**: Rising imports show domestic ore falling behind steel growth (Monthly · Indian Bureau of Mines, Commerce ministry) - **Gabon's ore export policy implementation**: Firm steps toward the 2029 ban signal tighter ore trade (As announced · Government of Gabon, USGS) ## India India is a mid-sized manganese ore producer, about 790,000 t of contained manganese in 2025, ahead of China's 700,000 t, but its battery makers would still buy high-purity sulphate from a market in which China made 95% of supply in 2024. ## Sources 1. [Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft: materials](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/vehicles/materials/), Material Insights (2026) 2. [Manganese market and manganese price drivers](https://www.sfa-oxford.com/battery-metals-and-materials/markets/manganese-market-and-manganese-price-drivers/), SFA (Oxford) 3. [Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 (extract)](https://sites.utexas.edu/mineralstransition/files/2025/05/Extract_GlobalCriticalMineralsOutlook2025-compressed.pdf), IEA (2025) 4. [Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Manganese](https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-manganese.pdf), USGS (2026) 5. [Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (full volume)](https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026.pdf), USGS (2026)