Tin Holds Gains on Tight Supply
2026-05-05 17:11
By
Andre Joaquim
1 min. read
Tin futures in the UK were around $49,500 per tonne in May, holding the rebound from the previous month to trade over 20% higher year-to-date on persistent risks to supply and speculative bets on demand.
Major producer Indonesia doubled down on threats against the illegal mining of tin and seixed 500 tonnes of metal connected to sources without licences.
The move consolidated the pledge from Jakarta that it would crack down on mining activity that lack licensing after President Subianto ordered the closure of 1,000 illegal mines in Sumatra, tightening the outlook on supply from the key exporter.
Elsewhere, operations in Myanmar's Man Maw mine remained slow since being closed for a resource audit in 2023.
Meanwhile, tin's utility in datacenters drove Asian traders to pile on futures contracts for speculative positions on AI technology following the crowded developments in silver, although trading halts by the SHFE limited the rally.