The volume of refined tin checked prior to export from Indonesia in January amounted to 6,186 tonnes, 38% lower than the quantity inspected in January 2008, according to Ministry of Trade data released on Monday. However because around 3,500 tonnes was held back for further examination by customs officials until February, actual shipments last month were even lower than the already depressed volumes of October-December 2009. The action by customs, in co-operation with the trade ministry, was in response to allegations that some tin failed to meet a minimum purity level of 99.85% tin.
The average volume of tin checked prior to export in the final quarter of last year by the two surveying companies appointed by the trade ministry was some 4,200 tpm. During this period most private tin smelters in Indonesia were closed or operating at low levels of capacity utilisation. Shipment of most of the tin held back in January was eventually permitted in two instalments on 6 and 12 February, with a further six containers still being investigated.
