Monsoon Limits January Indonesian Tin Shipments

SHANGHAI, Feb. 22 -- Provisional data from Indonesia's trade ministry shows that the volume of tin checked by surveying companies prior to export in January dropped from 8,508 tonnes in December to 6,775 tonnes in January. The January total was still, however, some 7% higher than in January 2009.

"Heavy rains disrupted the mining activities in Bangka, reducing supplies of tin ore to smelters," Alberth Yusuf Tubogu, export director for industry and mining products at the trade ministry told Bloomberg.

Tin from ten companies, including the major integrated producers PT Timah and PT Koba Tin and eight independent smelters, was included in the January total. About 78% of refined tin was due to be to Singapore in January while the remainder went to China, Malaysia, Netherlands, South Korea, Hong Kong and the United States.