Indonesia shipped 7,334.65 tonnes of refined tin in January, compared with 6,774.57 tonnes a year earlier, trade ministry data showed. "Exports were higher compare to January 2010 because exporters rushed to ship the metal because of record prices," Junaedi, head of mining exports at the trade ministry, told Reuters.
The trade ministry figures are based on checks carried out by surveying companies prior to export – a system introduced as part of its export licencing scheme in 2007. The rolling 12-month total reported to January 2011 is 93,047 tonnes. Shipments are usually relatively low in January due to the effects of the monsoon season on production.
