Myanmar imports exceed expectations

Apr 23, 2021

China’s imports of raw materials increased sharply in March. Imports from Myanmar, in particular, exceeded expectations. The latest customs data from the country reveals that it imported 21,115 tonnes of ores and concentrates (gross weight) in March. Some 86% of...

EM Huanuni eyes Lucianita restart

Apr 23, 2021

Empresa Minera Huanuni plans to restart the Lucianita processing plant from 1 May, according to an announcement from COMIBOL. The Huanuni mine relies on the aging Santa Elena processing plant. This plant sees the bulk of the 1,500 tonnes processed daily, with some 200...

MSC furnaces fail amidst smelter move

Apr 20, 2021

Malaysia Smelting Corporation, the world’s third-largest refined tin producer, is having issues at its Butterworth smelter. The Butterworth smelter has five reverberatory furnaces, with annual capacity of some 25,000 tonnes. FastMarkets has reported that two of...

China smelters halt production

Apr 1, 2021

Small and medium-sized smelters in Gejiu, China, could suspend their refining processes due to environmental checks. This round of environmental inspections is set to begin in early April. Starting in Honghe prefecture, the checks could last around one month. In...

Environmental checks pressure Chinese raw materials supply

Apr 1, 2021

From the end of March, a number of tin fuming furnaces in the Chinese province of Yunnan will be closed for environmental checks. Fuming furnaces are a key part of smelting operations in China. The furnaces process low grade raw materials, including slag, hard-head,...