China’s Ministry of Commerce has introduced further controls on tin exports, in addition to the reduction in quota tonnages for 2009 announced two weeks ago. Reuters reports that in future export licences will only be granted to companies with various minimum levels of past production or exports.
Producers in operation for more than three years can apply for an export licence if they have an annual tin ingot output of more than 2,000 tonnes and an average annual export volume of 200 tonnes in the past three years, a statement on the website of the ministry on Monday said. Producers in operation for more than a year but less than three years must have an annual tin ingot output of more than 8,000 tonnes and must have provided more than 300 tonnes for exports last year. Trading firms with an average export volume of higher than 200 tonnes, or 100 tonnes if based in western regions, also qualify to apply, the ministry said.
Meanwhile official customs figures also released yesterday showed that refined tin and alloy exports were only 18 tonnes in September, bringing the cumulative figure for the first nine months of the year to 486 tonnes, almost 98% lower than in January-September 2007. Meanwhile refined metal imports in the month were 995 tonnes, giving a nine month total of 9,794 tonnes, 10% lower than last year.
