The Ministry of Trade confirmed today that five more privately-owned Indonesian tin smelters have received export permits, taking to ten the total number of smelters allowed to export from the country. The five smelters are PT Tinindo Inter Nusa, CV DS Jaya Abadi, PT Bangka Putra Karya (BPK), PT Bukit Timah, and CV Donna Kembara Jaya (DKJ)
Jaya Abadi, BPK and DKJ are the three largest independent smelters in Indonesia, which were targeted by police in the clampdown on the sector last October.
The ten companies with export licences include the two major producers, PT Timah and PT Koba Tin, five independent smelters on Bangka island and two on Belitung.
Total capacity of the ten (based on the current operating rates of the two major companies and average exports in the first nine months of last year for the rest) is over 9,200 tpm or 110,000 tpy. However various restrictions on refined metal quality and ore sourcing may still delay re-openings of the private plants. ITRI continues to expect that Indonesian refined tin production will be around or below 90,000 tonnes this year.
