December 04, 2008

Yunnan Tin’s update on its growth plans

Mr Xiao Jianming chairman of Yunnan Tin Company said its company expects to produce 60,000 tonnes of tin this year, but will hold back on further increases in production due to concerns about raw material supplies and prices.

He said that “We need to secure supplies of raw materials. We also want to control output. If we increase output, world prices will fall.”

Mr Xiao said the company will produce 60,000 tonnes of refined tin in 2007 including about 7,000 tonnes from its JV plant in Singapore and 53,000 tonnes from plants in Yunnan and Hunan provinces in China. In 2006 combined total production from the Chinese and Singapore operations amounted to 52,399 tonnes. The firm produced about 70% of its ore.

Yunnan Tin Company says it is currently carrying out trial production at a new 18,000 tonnes per year smelter in Indonesia which is to supply crude tin for refining in Singapore.