India removes customs duty on high-grade manganese ore imports

• Duty removed for ore with Mn content of 46% & above
  
  
• India imported 6.5 mnt of manganese ore in CY'25
  
  

The government has exempted imports of manganese ore under HS Code 26020010 from customs duty, according to customs notification dated 9 June 2026 issued by the Ministry of Finance. This applies to manganese ores and concentrates (including ferruginous manganese ores) that have a manganese content of Mn 46% or more, calculated on a dry weight basis.

However, other grades with Mn content below 46% continue to attract 2.5% import duty, sources informed BigMint.

Potential impact

The duty exemption is expected to lower the landed cost of imported manganese ore and hence benefit ferro manganese and silico manganese producers dependent on imported ore. Particularly, high grade ferro manganese producers are likely to have a relief from the move and will help them get a competitive edge globally for exports.

Significance

India's imports of manganese ore increased by 4% y-o-y to 6.46 million tonnes (mnt) in CY25 against 6.21 mnt in CY24, as per provisional data with BigMint. Rising steel production and manganese alloys production and exports boosted higher manganese ore imports. South Africa remained the top exporter to India, with total shipments increasing by 3% y-o-y to 3.93 mnt. While Gabonese volume slid by 1% y-o-y to over 2 mnt, imports from Australia rose by 74% to 0.11 mnt.

Mid-grade Mn 35-46% ore imports recorded the steepest rise, increasing by 27% y-o-y to 5.36 mnt. However, imports of Mn 25-25% decreased sharply by over 60% y-o-y to 0.58 mnt. On the other hand, imports of high-grade Mn 46% and above ore decreased slightly by 2% to around 0.46 mnt.

Market participants believe the move could enhance the competitiveness of Indian ferro alloy manufacturers by reducing input costs, particularly for producers using imported high-grade manganese ore. The development comes at a time when alloy demand is closely linked to domestic steel production trends and export opportunities.