According to estimates released Tuesday by the trade ministry, Indonesia’s refined tin exports in March surged almost 30% on month to 11,086 metric tons. For full story, click here
A huge rise in the price of the tin used to can foods and beverages could fuel inflation and hobble crucial exports. For full story, click here
Although lower tin prices may appear to be a sign of a faltering market, many metals analysts say the supply market remains increasingly tight and a deficit is expected this year. There is a huge contradiction of what is happening to the price and the underlying state of the market.
Tin prices have dropped to their lowest level in over a year as the global financial crisis continues to cause concern that economic slowdowns worldwide will substantially decrease the demand for raw materials.
The base metals are down for the year, with tin and nickel suffering the most. Each has lost more than 25% in the last quarter. After Congress voted down the $700 billion bailout plan, tin prices hit their weakest level since September 18, dropping 6.3% to $16,680 on the LME.
Indonesia’s refined tin exports in August dropped 16.7% to 8,231.49 tonnes from 9,883.28 tonnes in July and are down 28.5% from a year ago. The decline in tin exports may be attributed to buyers who have curtailed purchases due to adequate stock.
The Congolese government has been unsuccessful in their attempts to clean up the tin sector in the eastern provinces. The hostilities threaten to boil over into war. The army and the rebel group CNDP have fought some intense battles this last week over the country’s mineral wealth.
Exports of cassiterite, the chief tin ore mined today, from the Democratic Republic of Congo will resume on Monday. Dealers in the province of North Kivu and Congolese government officials have been preoccupied with talks the past few weeks over an export tax increase that led to a seven-week strike.
An exporters’ group said on Monday that Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo dealers of the tin ore cassiterite have not yet commenced export shipments, despite a deal with the government to end a nearly two-month strike. John Kanyoni, president of the Association of Exporters of Minerals in North Kivu said: There is not a single kilo [...]
The price of tin gained more than 5% on reports that supply declines are expected from Indonesia, the world’s largest tin exporter and second-largest tin producer. World supply for 2008 is already down. The global tin supply deficit was predicted to reach 20,000 tonnes this year.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009