Core Insights - The China Steel Association reported a continued decline in procurement costs for coking coal and a mixed trend for iron ore in July 2025, with most categories showing significant year-on-year decreases in costs [1] Group 1: Coking Coal - The weighted average procurement cost of coking coal in July was 1100.18 CNY/ton, a decrease of 32.00 CNY/ton or 2.83% month-on-month [2] - From January to July, the cumulative average procurement cost was 1250.49 CNY/ton, down 634.14 CNY/ton or 33.65% year-on-year [2] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 1015.95 CNY/ton, which is 234.54 CNY/ton or 18.76% lower than the average [4] Group 2: Spraying Coal - The weighted average procurement cost of spraying coal in July was 841.62 CNY/ton, a decrease of 7.59 CNY/ton or 0.89% month-on-month [6] - The cumulative average procurement cost from January to July was 938.94 CNY/ton, down 198.76 CNY/ton or 17.47% year-on-year [6] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 727.16 CNY/ton, which is 211.78 CNY/ton or 22.56% lower than the average [8] Group 3: Metallurgical Coke - The weighted average procurement cost of metallurgical coke in July was 1303.66 CNY/ton, a decrease of 51.49 CNY/ton or 3.80% month-on-month [11] - The cumulative average procurement cost from January to July was 1482.27 CNY/ton, down 646.01 CNY/ton or 30.35% year-on-year [11] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 1279.56 CNY/ton, which is 202.71 CNY/ton or 13.68% lower than the average [13] Group 4: Domestic Iron Concentrate - The weighted average procurement cost of domestic iron concentrate in July was 745.01 CNY/ton, an increase of 1.73 CNY/ton or 0.23% month-on-month [14] - The cumulative average procurement cost from January to July was 769.34 CNY/ton, down 119.02 CNY/ton or 13.40% year-on-year [14] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 630.96 CNY/ton, which is 131.37 CNY/ton or 17.23% lower than the average [16] Group 5: Imported Powder Ore - The weighted average procurement cost of imported powder ore in July was 725.51 CNY/ton, an increase of 1.54 CNY/ton or 0.21% month-on-month [19] - The cumulative average procurement cost from January to July was 754.60 CNY/ton, down 124.77 CNY/ton or 14.19% year-on-year [19] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 713.04 CNY/ton, which is 59.06 CNY/ton or 7.65% lower than the average [21] Group 6: Scrap Steel - The weighted average procurement cost of scrap steel in July was 2146.37 CNY/ton, an increase of 18.20 CNY/ton or 0.86% month-on-month [25] - The cumulative average procurement cost from January to July was 2180.06 CNY/ton, down 358.06 CNY/ton or 14.11% year-on-year [25] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 1948.06 CNY/ton, which is 232.00 CNY/ton or 10.64% lower than the average [27] Group 7: Silicon Manganese Alloy - The weighted average procurement cost of silicon manganese alloy in July was 5143.37 CNY/ton, an increase of 60.61 CNY/ton or 1.19% month-on-month [30] - The cumulative average procurement cost from January to July was 5389.77 CNY/ton, down 793.53 CNY/ton or 12.83% year-on-year [30] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 5104.90 CNY/ton, which is 284.87 CNY/ton or 5.29% lower than the average [32] Group 8: Manganese Iron Alloy - The weighted average procurement cost of manganese iron alloy in July was 5973.38 CNY/ton, a decrease of 46.72 CNY/ton or 0.78% month-on-month [35] - The cumulative average procurement cost from January to July was 6274.58 CNY/ton, down 341.48 CNY/ton or 5.16% year-on-year [35] - The lowest five companies had an average procurement cost of 4848.24 CNY/ton, which is 1426.34 CNY/ton or 22.73% lower than the average [37]

Core Insights - In May, the procurement costs of most primary raw materials for enterprises decreased month-on-month, except for metallurgical coke, domestic pellets, and imported pellets, which saw slight increases [1] Group 1: Procurement Cost Changes - Coking coal procurement cost decreased by 0.91% month-on-month, with an average cost of 1227.16 CNY/ton in May, and a year-on-year decrease of 32.26% [2] - Injection coal procurement cost decreased by 2.94% month-on-month, with an average cost of 903.47 CNY/ton in May, and a year-on-year decrease of 13.76% [3] - Metallurgical coke procurement cost increased by 0.96% month-on-month, with an average cost of 1474.85 CNY/ton in May, but a year-on-year decrease of 28.53% [4] - Domestic iron concentrate procurement cost decreased by 0.05% month-on-month, with an average cost of 762.98 CNY/ton in May, and a year-on-year decrease of 14.35% [5] - Imported powder ore procurement cost decreased by 1.59% month-on-month, with an average cost of 750.01 CNY/ton in May, and a year-on-year decrease of 15.66% [6] - Scrap steel procurement cost decreased by 0.60% month-on-month, with an average cost of 2158.02 CNY/ton in May, and a year-on-year decrease of 14.46% [8] - Silicon manganese alloy procurement cost decreased by 3.59% month-on-month, with an average cost of 5265.77 CNY/ton in May, and a year-on-year decrease of 5.09% [9] - Manganese alloy procurement cost decreased by 3.17% month-on-month, with an average cost of 6236.93 CNY/ton in May, but a year-on-year increase of 0.69% [10] Group 2: Comparative Analysis - The lowest five enterprises for coking coal procurement had an average cost of 1057.82 CNY/ton, which is 19.09% lower than the average procurement cost [2] - The lowest five enterprises for injection coal procurement had an average cost of 739.41 CNY/ton, which is 24.49% lower than the average procurement cost [3] - The lowest five enterprises for metallurgical coke procurement had an average cost of 1339.75 CNY/ton, which is 13.35% lower than the average procurement cost [4] - The lowest five enterprises for domestic iron concentrate procurement had an average cost of 659.26 CNY/ton, which is 14.95% lower than the average procurement cost [5] - The lowest five enterprises for imported powder ore procurement had an average cost of 723.08 CNY/ton, which is 7.57% lower than the average procurement cost [6] - The lowest five enterprises for scrap steel procurement had an average cost of 1924.10 CNY/ton, which is 12.49% lower than the average procurement cost [8] - The lowest five enterprises for silicon manganese alloy procurement had an average cost of 5248.31 CNY/ton, which is 5.13% lower than the average procurement cost [9] - The lowest five enterprises for manganese alloy procurement had an average cost of 4872.49 CNY/ton, which is 25.59% lower than the average procurement cost [10]

Core Insights - The Chongqing Baitao Industrial Park is transforming into a vibrant new materials industry hub, achieving an industrial output value of 119.9 billion yuan in 2024 [1] - The park's development is supported by its clear industrial positioning and continuous clustering of industries, with the materials industry projected to contribute 87.7 billion yuan in 2024 [2] Industry Development - The materials industry is the core pillar of the park, encompassing chemical materials such as polyurethane, polyamide, and metallurgical materials like iron and aluminum alloys [2] - The park is divided into three major areas: Baitao focuses on upgrading chemical new materials, Lingang strengthens consumer goods and logistics, and Qingxi promotes non-ferrous metal industry efficiency [2] Energy Sector - The energy industry is also a key sector, expected to achieve a total output value of 19.5 billion yuan in 2024, with companies converting shale gas into natural gas for power generation [3] Consumer Goods Sector - The consumer goods industry is showing strong growth, with an output value of 11.1 billion yuan in 2024, driven by deep processing clusters in grain and oil [3] Project Implementation - The park has established a service mechanism for key enterprises, visiting nearly 100 companies in the first half of 2025 to address over 30 issues [4] - The park's leadership has conducted 29 investment promotion trips, successfully signing 10 projects in the fine chemical sector [4] Safety and Environmental Protection - Safety and environmental protection are prioritized, with a three-tier safety responsibility system in place and regular safety meetings conducted [5] - The park aims for green and low-carbon transformation, with 12 national-level green factories and 5 municipal-level green factories [6] Future Goals - The park aims to achieve an industrial output value of 140 billion yuan by 2025, with the materials industry expected to exceed 90 billion yuan [6]

Industry Overview - Manganese is a crucial strategic mineral resource, with China categorizing it as a scarce mineral. The country has a high dependence on imports, with 80%-90% of its manganese supply sourced from abroad, making it the largest manganese importer globally [2][3] - China's manganese ore production has been declining due to low ore grades, high impurities, and stringent mining regulations. The import volume and net import volume have consistently remained above 27 million tons, with projections for 2024 showing a decrease to approximately 29.29 million tons and 29.02 million tons, representing year-on-year declines of 6.28% and 7.14% respectively [2][3] Industry Chain - The manganese industry chain consists of three segments: upstream (exploration and mining), midstream (smelting and processing), and downstream (application in various industries). Key players in the upstream include companies like Western Gold, WISCO, and Southern Manganese, while midstream players include Tianyuan Manganese and Southern Manganese [4] - The downstream applications of manganese products span across steel, batteries, chemicals, construction, real estate, transportation, new energy vehicles, aerospace, and pharmaceuticals [4] Global Manganese Resources - Global manganese metal reserves are approximately 1.5 billion tons, with South Africa, Australia, China, and Brazil accounting for over 85% of total reserves. South Africa holds the largest share at around 32%, while China ranks third with about 15% [5] - High-grade manganese resources, with manganese content above 35%, are primarily found in South Africa, Gabon, Australia, and Brazil, while China mainly has low-grade resources with manganese content generally below 30% [5] Domestic Manganese Resources - China's manganese ore resources are predominantly composed of carbonate manganese ore, which constitutes about 55.8% of the total reserves. The distribution of manganese resources is uneven, with the highest concentration in Guangxi, accounting for 43.24% of the national reserves, followed by Guizhou at 17.83% [9] Market Report - The report titled "China Manganese Industry Market Operation Status and Future Strategic Analysis" provides a comprehensive analysis of the manganese industry's development environment, operational status, import and export dynamics, and competitive landscape, projecting trends for 2025 [11][13]