• 3 minutes e-car sales collapse
  • 6 minutes America Is Exceptional in Its Political Divide
  • 11 minutes Perovskites, a ‘dirt cheap’ alternative to silicon, just got a lot more efficient
  • 38 mins GREEN NEW DEAL = BLIZZARD OF LIES
  • 2 hours How Far Have We Really Gotten With Alternative Energy
  • 4 hours If hydrogen is the answer, you're asking the wrong question
  • 4 days Oil Stocks, Market Direction, Bitcoin, Minerals, Gold, Silver - Technical Trading <--- Chris Vermeulen & Gareth Soloway weigh in
  • 5 days The European Union is exceptional in its political divide. Examples are apparent in Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Netherlands, Belarus, Ireland, etc.
  • 17 hours Biden's $2 trillion Plan for Insfrastructure and Jobs
  • 4 days "What’s In Store For Europe In 2023?" By the CIA (aka RFE/RL as a ruse to deceive readers)
Stuart Burns

Stuart Burns

Stuart is a writer for MetalMiner who operate the largest metals-related media site in the US according to third party ranking sites. With a preemptive…

More Info

Premium Content

Tin Supply Is Running Dangerously Low

  • A supply shortage in the tin market has kept prices elevated in recent weeks.
  • Slowing demand and increasing output could help alleviate some of the upward pressure on the market in the second half of the year.

Despite a strong rebound in output, the tin market is still dangerously short on supply. How will this affect the tin price forecast? Experts are rushing to weigh in.

According to Reuters, the International Tin Association (ITA) reported that global refined tin production increased by 11% to 378,400 metric tons last year. But while output is up, so is demand. This is especially true of the electronics sector, which also accounted for the vast majority of last year’s demand.

In December 2021, overall demand growth was 32.6% year over year. By March, it had cooled somewhat to around 23%. That said, a Capital Economics report states that demand is still substantial enough to keep prices elevated in the short term.

The Market Remains Incredibly Tight

The overall tightness of the market is evident in the inventory levels and the resulting physical delivery premiums. LME inventory levels are only up by 640 tons since January, topping out at a critically low 2,685 tons. Experts have been quick to note that this figure represents just two days’ worth of global usage.

Not surprisingly, physical delivery premiums remain high as well. Indeed, Reuters recently reported that Fastmarket US Midwest premium had reached $2450 per ton over the LME cash price. This is down from last August’s $3950, but still way above the $600 levels seen in early 2021.

Related: Energy Security Concerns Are Fueling A Renewable Boom

Meanwhile, shipments destined for China out of Port Klang and Singapore are counteracting the modest physical deliveries into Antwerp and Baltimore. In fact, China turned from a net exporter to a net importer this year, sucking in nearly 2000 tons and further ratcheting up pressure on metal availability.

It all begs the question: do the next 12-18 months promise more of the same? Not necessarily. Sure, supply remains tight. However, as post-pandemic consumption migrates from consumer goods to services, demand for electronics goods is likely to cool.

Multiple Factors Still Play for the 2022 Tin Price Forecast

According to Capital Economics, growth in the sale of semi-conductors started to slow in 2021. This is a trend that may accelerate as surging interest rates dampen spending across the Western World. Tin prices remain stubbornly high for now, but recovering mine output and cooling demand should weaken support from these price levels in H2.

All in all, it’s probable we’ll see lower LME and reduced physical delivery premiums in the second half of the year.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Stuart Burns via AG Metal Miner

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:


Download The Free Oilprice App Today

Back to homepage





Leave a comment

Leave a comment




EXXON Mobil -0.35
Open57.81 Trading Vol.6.96M Previous Vol.241.7B
BUY 57.15
Sell 57.00
Oilprice - The No. 1 Source for Oil & Energy News