Yunnan smelters close as drought limits power
In China, the majority of tin smelters are concentrated in Yunnan province, in the southwest of the country. The province is also home to a number of zinc and aluminum smelters. In early May, the Yunnan Power Grid issued a notice to all companies to reduce their...Weaker Chinese demand prompts continued exports
Customs data from China indicates that the country was a net exporter of refined tin again in March. Net exports were some four times higher than in February. The data reveals that, in March, imports of refined tin dropped to 102 tonnes, down some 78%. This is the...Myanmar imports exceed expectations
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...China smelters halt production
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
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,...Tight tin market encourages Chinese metal exports
China’s trade of refined tin metal shifted into net exports in February, recent customs data shows. Usually, the country augments its significant domestic supply of metal with material from other producers. The majority of the metal typically arrives from...Drop in Myanmar tin supply compensated by other sources
Chinese imports of tin-in-concentrate fell 14% year-on-year as improved flows from the rest of the world made up for a more significant drop in material from Myanmar. In terms of gross weight, reported in the latest customs data, China imported some 20,500 tonnes over...YTC begins switch to new smelter
Yunnan Tin (YTC) is close to achieving full-scale production at its new smelter, it announced in a recent press release. In 2006, the Chinese government announced environmental reforms that forced smelters within 1 km of residential areas to be relocated. Located in...YTC comes out top in difficult year for tin producers
2020 was a difficult year for tin producers. In many countries, the spread of the coronavirus saw lockdown measures that closed smelters and halted production. In total, ITA estimates that 327,200 tonnes of refined tin were produced in 2020. This was a nearly 8% drop...
