Shanghai Nonferrous Metals News
Domestic tin ore supply is unlikely to grow in 2019 due to limited growth expected in major producing regions. In southern China, tin ore mining is largely limited by environmental audits and safety checks. In IM, Yinman Mining with a 6 kt expansion plan in 2018, halted all operations due to a traffic accident on mine site in February 2019. IM Weisituo Mining is still in preparation. IM Huanggang Mining is running stably with no expansion plans.
Domestic tin ingot output is forecast to remain flat or drop slightly on-year in 2019. China produced 155 kt of tin ingot in 2019, a decline of 5.7% on-year. The decline can be attributed to tightening raw material supply rather than environmental controls on tin smelting- which was alleviated during 2018. During the first two months of 2019, China produced 22 kt of tin ingot, and tightening raw material supply is likely to continue to limit China’s tin output.
