Preliminary trade ministry data shows that Indonesian tin metal exports fell again in July. The volume of tin checked prior to export amounted to 8,298 tonnes, down by 10% compared to July last year and 14% compared to the previous month. In the first seven months of 2012 the tonnage checked by surveying companies as part of the ministry’s export licencing scheme fell by 6.4% year-on-year to 56,513 tonnes , while the rolling 12-month total has dropped to 92,153 tonnes.
“July tin exports are less than in June because of low prices in the international market,” said Johan Murod, chief executive of Babel Tin Group told Reuters. Strong winds had also caused some miners to reduce output last month, Murod added. Tin output in August, from Indonesia’s main tin producing region of Bangka-Belitung, is expected to be lower after some smelters decided to hold back material because of low prices and the Eid al-Fitr holiday period in mid-August.
“Labourers who mostly come from Java have been on holiday since one week ago,” Murod said. “Currently, there are only around 50 percent of the labourers still in Bangka-Belitung.” Earlier this week, state-run PT Timah, Indonesia’s largest tin miner, said it had stopped selling tin on the spot market because of low prices.
