Manganese ore is mainly used as ferromanganese (a deoxidizing and desulfurizing agent during steelmaking) and silicomanganese (a steel additive to improve strength and various properties), as a strengthening additive for aluminum alloys, and as a raw material for batteries such as manganese dioxide.The majority of manganese imports are manganese ore and ferromanganese.Imports in 2010 were about 540 tons of ore, 95 tons of ferromanganese, and 163 tons of silicomanganese.South Africa and Australia are the source countries for ore and ferromanganese imports, while India, Kazakhstan, and China account for most silicomanganese imports.Domestic production of metallic manganese is believed to be almost non-existent due to the lack of competitiveness against low-priced Chinese products.It is revised once a week after hearing from handling companies, trading companies, traders, and users.