Manganese Price Today: Spot Rates, Market & Outlook

• Manganese metal price rises to $2,642.48 per tonne on the SMM benchmark
• Ferromanganese and silicomanganese both firm, reversing last cycle’s softening
• Manganese ore prices steady after last month’s sharp decline
• Battery-grade manganese sulphate holds broadly flat to modestly firmer
• China accounts for roughly 55% of global crude steel production
• Weight and currency conversion tables included for procurement teams

Last Updated: 4 September 2026

The manganese price today: electrolytic manganese metal (EMM) trades at $2,642.48 per tonne on the Shanghai Metals Market (SMM, major areas average, 4 September 2026), up from $2,599.51/tonne in August, while battery-grade manganese sulphate stands at $1,144.58 per tonne, up modestly from $1,137.29/tonne. This cycle reverses last month’s divergence: rather than metallurgical manganese softening while battery-grade compounds held firm, both segments have firmed together, and manganese ore — which fell sharply last cycle, particularly in South African grades — has broadly steadied.

Current Manganese Price

Manganese is priced differently depending on form and grade. The SMM data below covers the principal benchmarks used by steel producers, battery manufacturers, and traders as of 4 September 2026.

Electrolytic Manganese Metal (EMM)

Battery-Grade Manganese Compounds

Manganese Ore

Ore prices are quoted per dry metric ton unit (dmtu) — one percent of manganese contained per dry metric tonne. Australia 46% block ore at $6.02/dmtu at Tianjin represents approximately $277/dry tonne landed, essentially unchanged from August. Notably, the South African hemicarbonate line — which posted the sharpest percentage decline of any ore grade last cycle — has recovered to $5.08/dmtu from $4.98/dmtu, a reversal of that specific weakness rather than a continuation of it.

Manganese Price in USD, EUR, GBP and Other Currencies

Exchange rates: XE.com, September 2026. Conversions calculated from the SMM Major Areas EMM benchmark. CNY figures reflect the USD/CNY mid-market rate and do not represent the SMM domestic Chinese price, which incorporates VAT and may differ materially.

Manganese Price Per Gram, Per Ounce and Per Pound

Metallurgical vs Battery-Grade Manganese: Two Markets

The manganese price story in 2026 cannot be told as a single number. Manganese operates across two structurally distinct markets that respond to different demand signals.

Metallurgical manganese — consumed as ferromanganese and silicomanganese in steel production — accounts for approximately 90% of global manganese demand by volume. High-carbon ferromanganese (FeMn65C7.0) is priced at $764.54/t on SMM (4 September 2026), up from $753.27/t in August; silicomanganese 6517 averages approximately $872.17/t across major Chinese production regions, also up modestly on the month. Both have firmed after several months of pressure.

Battery-grade manganese — primarily manganese sulphate (MnSO₄) for NMC and LMFP cathode production, and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) for lithium-manganese-oxide (LMO) cells — is a smaller but faster-growing segment. Battery-grade sulphate has held firm at $1,144.58/t, up modestly from August’s $1,137.29/t, continuing its now-established pattern of resilience. What’s different this cycle is that the metallurgical side has firmed alongside it rather than moving in the opposite direction — the clean divergence flagged in the prior update has not persisted. For context on the broader battery supply chain, see the top 10 battery materials companies active in this space.

What Is Driving Manganese Prices

Steel demand weakness has been the primary bearish driver across metallurgical manganese product forms through much of 2026, but this cycle’s firming in EMM, ferromanganese, and silicomanganese suggests that pressure has eased, at least temporarily. China accounts for roughly 55% of global crude steel production, and the multi-year contraction in Chinese real estate has reduced construction-grade rebar demand — the largest single end-use for ferromanganese and silicomanganese. This structural pressure is the same dynamic that has weighed on cobalt and nickel in their respective battery-adjacent metallurgical markets, though this cycle’s manganese data doesn’t show that pressure reasserting itself as clearly as it did last month.

On the supply side, the three dominant ore exporters — Australia (primarily South32’s GEMCO operation in the Northern Territory), Gabon (Comilog, a subsidiary of Eramet), and South Africa — continue shipping at normalised volumes. Ore pricing has broadly steadied this cycle after last month’s sharp softening, with the previously hard-hit South African hemicarbonate grade actually recovering. According to USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, global manganese ore production runs at approximately 20 million tonnes annually, with South Africa, Gabon, and Australia as the three largest exporters.

Battery demand for high-purity manganese compounds continues to grow steadily. LMFP (lithium manganese iron phosphate) cell chemistry — which uses higher manganese content than standard NMC — is gaining commercial traction in Chinese EV production, and this continues to support incremental demand for battery-grade sulphate. The scale of LMFP adoption over 2026–2028 remains the most significant demand variable for battery-grade manganese pricing.

Manganese Supply: South Africa, Australia, and Gabon

South Africa holds the world’s largest manganese ore reserves — estimated at over 570 million tonnes of manganese content — concentrated in the Kalahari Manganese Field in the Northern Cape. South32 (ASX: S32), Samancor (a joint venture between South32 and Hotazel Manganese Mines), and Assmang are the principal producers. South African ore dominates the high-iron and hemicarbonate segments, priced at a discount to Australian material reflecting grade differences — a discount that narrowed slightly this cycle as South African hemicarbonate pricing recovered.

Australia’s Northern Territory is home to the Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO), operated by South32. GEMCO produces high-grade block ore that commands the premium pricing visible in SMM’s Australian benchmark. The operation is the world’s largest single-site manganese producer. Gabon’s Moanda mine, operated by Comilog (Eramet Group), is a significant secondary supplier to Chinese ports, priced between Australian and South African material.

China itself produces meaningful quantities of lower-grade ore but is a net importer of high-grade material. Chinese smelting of ferromanganese, silicomanganese, and EMM accounts for the majority of global processing capacity, meaning the manganese supply chain has significant China dependency at the processing stage even where ore originates elsewhere. The International Manganese Institute publishes annual statistics on production, trade flows, and end-use demand.

Manganese Price Outlook

Near-term direction is closely tied to Chinese steel output policy and the pace of LMFP battery adoption. This cycle’s broad-based firming across metallurgical, ore, and battery-grade benchmarks alike is a more uniform picture than last month’s segment divergence, though one month of firmer data isn’t sufficient to confirm the underlying steel-demand weakness has genuinely turned around rather than paused. On the battery side, analyst consensus broadly expects battery-grade manganese sulphate demand to grow materially through 2027–2028 as LMFP chemistry scales in Chinese and eventually Western EV supply chains, and this cycle’s continued firmness in that segment is consistent with that thesis.

The manganese price for metallurgical grades remains sensitive to Chinese steel utilisation rates. For battery-grade compounds, the floor is partly set by Chinese processing costs; this cycle’s steady-to-firm reading suggests that floor is holding. Forecasts from available analyst sources suggest metallurgical EMM in the $2,000–$2,800/t range and battery-grade sulphate at $900–$1,300/t as plausible 2026 corridors, subject to revision.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Prices are subject to change without notice.