The President of the Association of Indonesian Tin Exporters (AETI), Jabin Sufianto, predicted a decline in tin shipments to below 70,000 tonnes in 2015. Speaking at ITRI China’s Annual Tin Reception in Sanya, Hainan, he attributed the expected fall in sales to the new trade ministry export regulation No 44/2014 plus tighter control of mining concessions by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals. The new trade regulation came into effect on 1 November and makes it much more difficult to export tin in non-ingot form.
In the first 10 months of this year, non-ingot forms of tin accounted for 33% of total exports of 66,211 tonnes. Jabin noted that since the previous export regulation requiring trading of tin ingots on a local exchange prior to export had come into effect in September 2013, non-ingot sales had increased enormously from an estimated previous proportion of 3 – 5% and that this was an obvious loophole which was now being closed. However he said that important local interests were publically critical of the new regulation and there was still “rumour and speculation” that it could be revised again by Indonesia’s new government.
AETI was established in May this year and has nineteen private smelter members. Its objectives are to promote productive partnerships between government, exporters and other industry stakeholders, achieve a good value for Indonesian tin and promote good mining practice. Jabin appealed to tin buyers around the world to refrain from buying metal illegally exported from Indonesia. He also called for an exemption of Indonesian smelters from Conflict Free Smelter audits, given that official statistics showed that the country imported no concentrates from Central Africa.
