Ferromanganese (High-, Medium- & Low-Carbon)

HC FeMn 74–82% Mn and refined MC / LC grades by carbon, silicon, phosphorus and sulphur

Ferromanganese is the manganese addition a steel mill makes when it wants manganese without the silicon that comes with silicomanganese, and it is sold in three carbon classes that are really three different products. High-carbon ferromanganese (HC FeMn) is smelted straight from manganese ore in a submerged-arc or blast furnace and is sold in two manganese bands, 74–76% and 78–82% Mn, with carbon up to 7.5%, silicon under 1.5%, and phosphorus and sulphur at around 0.3% and 0.03%. Medium-carbon ferromanganese (MC FeMn) is refined down to 1.0–3.0% C at 74–82% Mn, and low-carbon ferromanganese (LC FeMn) to 0.20% C maximum at 70–85% Mn; each refining step costs more per tonne and is bought by the mills whose steel cannot take the carbon, such as low-carbon flat products, stainless and some wire grades. The Indian standard IS 1171 and the ISO ferroalloy standards set the grade names; the buyer's own sheet sets the ceilings. Phosphorus is the number that moves price inside a grade, because it passes straight into the steel and cannot be removed in the ladle. Lumps are sized to the mill's feeder, with fines at a discount.

On the trade, UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 7202.11 (ferromanganese over 2% carbon) total about USD 1.08 billion, led by India at 48.2% (559,000 MT), Malaysia at 28.9% (284,000 MT), France at 6.6% and South Africa at 3.7%; under HS 7202.19 (2% carbon or less), about USD 486 million, India again leads at 43.5%, followed by South Africa at 26.1% and the Netherlands at 9.8%. The buyer is a steel mill or foundry buying on a monthly specification with a delivery port, and CBIL is a commodity brokerage company that brokers HC, MC and LC ferromanganese from Indian, Malaysian, South African and French smelter and trader allocations against SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek certification of Mn, C, Si, P, S and size distribution, with the smelter's certificate of origin. Lots are structured in 1 MT jumbo bags in 20-foot containers or in breakbulk on FOB, CFR and CIF terms, and because CBIL also runs a chartering desk (LaycanDesk), the breakbulk freight leg is quoted alongside the alloy. Price is negotiated per lot; buyers commonly reference published ferromanganese assessments from Fastmarkets, Argus or SMM. Send your Mn floor, carbon class, phosphorus ceiling, size band and monthly tonnage and we will work the smelter to it.

Need the ship as well? Our chartering desk prices bulk ore freight on LaycanDesk.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.