https://www.miningweekly.com
Copper|Electrical|Environment|Forklifts|generation|Manufacturing|Packaging|supply-chain|Contracting|Manufacturing |Packaging|Products
Copper|Electrical|Environment|Forklifts|generation|Manufacturing|Packaging|supply-chain|Contracting|Manufacturing |Packaging|Products
copper|electrical|environment|forklifts|generation|manufacturing|packaging-company|supply chain|contracting|manufacturing-industry-term|packaging|products

Tin demand likely to contract this year – association

17th October 2019

By: Marleny Arnoldi

Deputy Editor Online

     

Font size: - +

Although refined tin use grew by 2% year-on-year in 2018, the International Tin Association (ITA) expects demand to contract for this year, primarily as a result of an unstable macroeconomic environment.

Releasing the results of its fifteenth annual report, on Thursday, the association said there had been a contraction in refined tin use in most sectors so far this year.

The report surveyed 141 companies, which account for about 43% of estimated global refined tin use.

Solder accounts for the largest global share of tin use and the sector’s demand grew by 2% in 2018.

Forecasts for 2019, both inside and outside of China, were significantly more negative because of weakening global manufacturing and supply chain issues, mainly linked with the US–China trade war, the association noted.

It added that electronics miniaturisation remained the greatest medium-term threat to tin demand, primarily in China, but this would be countered by growth in new markets, including fifth-generation communications and electric vehicles.

Tin use in chemicals continued to grow, although at a slower pace. In 2018, the sector grew by 3% compared with 6% the year before. This was mainly driven by growth in polyvinyl chloride stabiliser and polymer catalyst markets.

Tin use for all tin chemicals, including inorganic forms, was forecasted to decline this year.

The ITA further found that tinplate use continued a long-term trend of slow decline, contracting by 2% in 2018. This is likely to decrease again in 2019. Prospects are especially poor in China, despite continued reports of increasing capacity there.

Lower tin coating weights and competition from alternative packaging are challenging tin use. Changing tariffs are significantly disrupting global supply chains, said the ITA.

The survey further showed that lead-acid battery tin use achieved strong growth of 4% in 2018, reflecting market expansion in high tin use in start-stop hybrid vehicles, as well as motive batteries in forklifts.

The ITA expects modest growth in refined tin use in the lead-acid battery sector this year.

“The use of tin in electric bikes in China is a significant proportion of tin use but we expect it to flatten and decline under government pressure on lead-acid batteries and competition from lithium-ion,” the association stated.

Meanwhile, tin use in copper alloys and other metal product markets declined by 2% in 2018. Copper alloy producers in China reported weakness in domestic markets for bronze strip in electrical products, with some impact from the US–China trade war on exported high-end products.

Provisional estimates of total global tin use, including refined and unrefined forms, totalled 455 600 t in 2018, up 3% on 2017. The recycling input rate – the use of recycled tin as a proportion of total tin use – was calculated to be roughly constant at 32% in both 2018 and 2019 so far.

Pipeline refined tin stocks held by surveyed companies at the end of 2018 amounted to the equivalent of 3.9 weeks’ supply.

“If this ratio is extrapolated based on global consumption, it would imply that world consumer stock holdings were around 28 000 t. The survey indicates that many users are in the process of significantly running down their inventories this year,” the ITA said.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

Comments

Projects

Image of lithium ore
Bougouni lithium project, Mali – update
Updated 2 hours 42 minutes ago By: Sheila Barradas

Showroom

Willard
Willard

Rooted in the hearts of South Africans, combining technology and a quest for perfection to bring you a battery of peerless standing. Willard...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East
Weir Minerals Africa and Middle East

Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
27th March 2024
Resources Watch
Resources Watch
27th March 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.2 0.234s - 92pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now