SHANGHAI (Scrap Register): China has imported 22,260 tons of tin concentrate from Myanmar in June, down 34% from May’s level, with Sn content to drop by 20% to about 5,500 tons, according to China Customs Data.
China’s tin concentrate imports in the first half of year totaled 30,800 tons (Sn content), which staged small changes from the level seen in the same period of last year.
Those from Myanmar occupied more than 98%. In June, China exported 472 tonnes of tin products and 99 tons of refined tin and tin alloy, reported SMM.
International Tin Research Institute (ITRI) indicated that Sn content in tin concentrate imports in June was 43% higher than the same period of 2016’s, as monsoon season in Myanmar made lower-than-expected impact on tin concentrate supply.
However, impact from monsoon season will increase, and tin ores and concentrates inventories held by local miners and government are uncertain.
Hence, China’s tin concentrate imports will drop sharply in the second half of 2017 with plunging inventories and falling output at Burmese mines.