Provisional data released by the National Bureau of Statistics data shows that August refined tin production in China fell by 19.4% relative to August 2007, to 9,211 tonnes. The latest month’s figure was however around 10% higher than in the previous month. Year-to-date production in January-August is provisionally reported at 82,813 tonnes, down 13.3% on the corresponding period of last year.
The particularly low figures for July-August reflect a long maintenance shutdown of Yunnan Tin’s Gejiu smelter – the largest in the country – and restrictions on sales of explosives to small mines as an Olympic Games security measure.
