June provisional production figures published by China’s National Bureau of Statistics show tin output down on year-ago levels for the second month running. Refined tin production last month was 12,692 tonnes, 2.9% lower than in June 2006. However, due to increases earlier in the year, production in the year to date, at 73,551 tonnes, was 10.8% up on the corresponding 2006 level.
The dip in tin production since May is in sharp contrast to the performance of other non-ferrous metals. Chinese production of all the other LME metals in June was up between 11% and 28% on year-ago levels. The slowdown in tin is due to increasingly tight availability of tin concentrates
