Indonesian Exports Steady

SHANGHAI, Aug. 25 -- The tonnage of tin metal checked prior to export from Indonesia in July was 8,870 tonnes, 1% higher than in the same month last year and 10% up on the previous month. “Smelters raised output and released their stockpiles after gains in tin price,” Alberth Tubogu, export director for mining and industry products at the Ministry of Trade, told Bloomberg. However year-to-date shipments in the seven months to July this year, at 52,133 tonnes, are 12.2% lower than in the same period of 2009, due to adverse weather and the depletion of onshore mining areas. This has affected production by small mines and private smelters in particular.

Prolonged rains after the usual end of the wet season in Indonesia in the first quarter have hampered mining and further tightened tin ore supply. "It will affect our offshore production. But we expect to boost output in the second half," Abrun Abubakar, corporate secretary of state miner PT Timah Tbk , told Reuters. He said the company expects its tin output this year to be in the range of 45,000-50,000 tonnes, revised down from a previous forecast made in May for 50,000 tonnes. Timah produced 45,086 tonnes of refined metal last year and will publish H1 2010 operating results shortly.