Platts quoted Beijing Antaike said during a presentation at ITRI's event in Hong Kong from April 14th 2008 to April 17th 2008 that China's net tin exports are forecast to fall to 6,000 tonnes in 2008 down by 43% from 10,588 tonnes in 2007.

Antaike analysts Mr Cui Lin and Mr Zhang Changhai attributed the expected lower net exports to higher anticipated refined tin usage in the country at 146,000 tonnes in 2008 up by 10.45% from 132,200 tonnes in 2007. The growth in refined tin usage is expected to continue at a rate of 10% per year in the next few years on the back of strong growth in the electronics sector and a major increase in tinplate capacity in 2008-2009.

Tin usage in solders, which is estimated to have accounted for 72% of total consumption in China in 2007 is expected to continue to expand at some 13%/year, although growth in the lead-free share of the market is expected to slow. Meanwhile, an Antaike survey of steel companies identifies planned increases in tinplate capacity of some 1.2 million tonnes per year in the next two years. Partly offsetting these gains tin usage in chemicals is forecast to fall partly in reaction to higher prices.

The statement said tin smelting and refining capacity is also being expanded, but a lack of major new mining projects and increased competition for scrap means that raw materials constraints will limit growth in tin production.

(Sourced from MySteel.net)