In January–July 2026, Ukraine imported approximately 10.9 thousand metric tons of manganese ore, whereas there were no imports of this product during the same period last year.
According to data from the State Customs Service, virtually the entire volume of shipments came from Ghana—10,896 metric tons worth $1.677 million. An additional 5 metric tons, worth $3,000, were imported from China.
Thus, Ghana accounted for 99.82% of the value of Ukraine’s manganese ore imports in January–July.
The resumption of imports coincides with the recovery of foreign trade in manganese ore overall. Over the seven-month period, Ukraine exported 24,647 metric tons of such products worth $4.227 million.
The average estimated price of exported ore was approximately $171 per metric ton, while that of ore imported from Ghana was approximately $154 per metric ton. These figures are estimates based on customs value and physical shipment volumes and do not reflect differences in the quality and characteristics of the raw material.
Manganese ore imports into Ukraine have fluctuated significantly in recent years. In 2024, the country imported 84,293 thousand metric tons worth $18.302 million.
In 2025, imports fell to 37,006 thousand metric tons, valued at $5.546 million. Notably, the entire volume was shipped from Ghana in November alone, while imports were virtually nonexistent from January through October.
The resumption of shipments as early as the first half of 2026 may indicate growing demand for raw materials in the ferroalloy industry amid a gradual recovery in production.
The main consumers of manganese ore in Ukraine are enterprises in the ferroalloy industry. The Nikopol and Zaporizhzhia Ferroalloy Plants halted smelting after Ukrainian mining companies ceased extraction of raw manganese ore in the fall of 2023; however, ferroalloy production was partially resumed in the summer of 2024.
