ITRI has carried out it usual survey of refined tin production by its member companies and other leading producers over the last few weeks and the results are shown in the table below. Eight of the twelve companies shown increased their production in 2010, in several cases exceeding earlier expectations of their performance.
Yunnan Tin retains its position as the world’s largest producer for the sixth year in a row, and has increased the gap between itself and the other two major integrated producers PT Timah and Minsur. Timah’s 2010 production is estimated from published results for January-September and public statements, but all the other numbers have been confirmed with the companies. The two large global custom smelters, Malaysia Smelting Corporation and Thaisarco, both reported increases in production. The latter company achieved this despite a drastic reduction in concentrate intake, more than offsetting this by stepping up its refining of tin from Indonesia and LME warehouses.
ITRI members produced 232,800 tonnes of refined tin last year, accounting for two thirds of estimated world production. Apart from the companies highlighted in the table, other ITRI members contributing to this total were OMSA (Bolivia), Minsur’s Brazilian subsidiary Taboca and Fenix (Poland). GAM of Australia (formerly Talison) did not produce any tin last year.
