Bolivia’s new mining minister Alberto Echazu has confirmed that the country has been unable to export most of the tin produced by the Vinto smelter since it was nationalised in February.
In an interview published in the La Prensa newspaper on Tuesday, he said that exports of 966 tonnes of metal – equal to reported production in March – had been delayed as a result of legal considerations.
These were related to a court order obtained by Glencore – owners of the plant up to 9 February – and conciliation negotiations begun via the Swiss embassy in Bolivia.
The head of the Empresa Metalurgica Vinto operation, Francisco Infantes, said that as a result of these constraints the company was looking to sell up to 1,000 tpm in new markets such as China, Brazil and Venezuela. Traditionally the majority of Bolivia’s high quality tin is sold in the USA.
