Koba smelter to re-start

Mar 14, 2008

Indonesia’s PT Koba Tin is expected to recommence production at its smelter on Bangka island on Monday, according to reports from Reuters and Metal Bulletin. Output has been stopped since 29 January, on the orders of the local police chief, following allegations...

China tin production falls

Mar 14, 2008

Refined tin production in China fell by 15.7% year-on year to 19,237 tonnes in the first two months of 2008. The provisional data issued by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was reported by Reuters yesterday. January production was down 18.0% to 9,890 tonnes and...

Bolivian output to recover in 2008

Mar 12, 2008

Provisional official figures show that Bolivian mine production of tin-in-concentrate fell by 9.6% to 15,966 tonnes in 2007, while refined tin output by the country’s two smelters also dropped to 12,251 tonnes. The difference between the mine and refined tin...

Another Indonesian export licence granted

Mar 11, 2008

Reuters reports that the Indonesian trade ministry granted an export licence to anpther independent smelter, CV United Smelting, on 5 March. This is the 18th licence to be granted since the ministry’s scheme to monitor and control exports was put in place on 23...

Police continue to block Bangka supplies

Mar 6, 2008

Action by police on Indonesia’s Bangka island aimed at controlling ore shipments from illegal mining continues to affect tin supplies from the island. State tin company PT Timah is now facing delays in shipping refined tin, ore supplies to a private smelter have...

China’s metal and concentrate imports rise

Feb 29, 2008

China remained a net importer of refined tin in January, and imports of both metal and tin concentrates were well above corresponding year-earlier levels. According to official customs figures reported by Reuters today, exports of unwrought tin in January were only...