Indonesian Tinplate to be Exported to Australia

JAKARTA, Jun. 13 -- Indonesian tin producer PT Pelat Timah Nusantara (Latinusa) plans to export part of its tin plate production to Australia beginning next year, the Jakarta Post reported. The company's general manager for production Kusna Indrawan said that beginning next year, Latinusa would export up to 40,000 tonnes of tinplate to Australia, equivalent to 25 % of the country's annual demand. The business will have a value of some US$55 million per year.

Since the closure Bluescope Steel's last remaining tinning line at its Port Kembla plant in 2007, Australia has imported all its requirements, mainly from Japan. According to Kusna, Latinusa's major shareholder - Nippon Steel group, which previously exported tinplate to Australia from Japan - appointed Latinusa to continue the export to Australia for efficiency reasons. Although shipments are expected to commence at the start of 2011, the timetable could be advanced if necessary.