Japan Tin Buyers Shift to Alternative Sources of Indonesia and China

Japanese tin ingot import from Thailand increased to 1,005 tonnes in January, which was almost same level as 1,060 tonnes from Indonesia. The import from Malaysia also increased to highest level in years while the import from China dropped. Under limited supply from traditional countries, Japanese buyers seek another source. The import from Thailand reached around 800 tonnes per month since October 2007. The weight for total import increased to 32% in January compared with 20-25% before. The averaged import price was around 30-50 yen per kilogram higher than the price for Indonesian materials. Thailand imports crude tin to make tin ingot recent years due to lower grade and limited supply of domestic ore. Japanese tin import from Thailand decreased to monthly 100 tonnes level after Indonesia stopped the crude tin export in February 2007. However, Thailand increases the tin output with alternative source of tin ore. Japanese tin import from Indonesia in January was lowest level since February 2007. Indonesia apparently ships the metal mainly for Chinese buyers when the export level kept as high as 9,914 tonnes in January. China imports tin ingot from Indonesia and other sources due to limited export ability under strong domestic demand. China reduced the export by 60% to 305 tonnes in January from a year earlier.