Tin Price

How the tin price has moved across key timeframes. Change is calculated from the opening price of each period to the current price.

Tin is a silvery-white metal best known historically for its role in bronze and tin cans, and today for its critical use in electronics soldering. It is one of the oldest metals in human use and remains a strategic commodity due to its indispensable role in circuit board manufacturing.

Tin has been used since at least 3500 BCE, when it was alloyed with copper to produce bronze — an alloy that defined the Bronze Age. Tin cans for food preservation were patented in the early 19th century. The London Metal Exchange has traded tin since 1877. Modern electronics manufacturing has made tin a critical material due to its use in lead-free solder required under RoHS regulations.

The largest use of tin today is in solder (~50% of demand), which joins components on printed circuit boards in every electronic device from smartphones to servers. Tin plate (steel coated with tin) for packaging, particularly food cans, is the second largest use (~18%). Specialty chemicals, float glass manufacturing, and PVC stabilisers account for additional demand. Tin's role in electronics means it is directly tied to the semiconductor and consumer electronics cycle.

China is the largest tin producer, followed by Indonesia, Myanmar, Peru, and Bolivia. Indonesia was historically the swing supplier via its state-controlled PT Timah, but output has declined. Myanmar has emerged as a significant source despite political and regulatory risk. Bolivia and Peru have large reserves. The ITRI (International Tin Association) is the key industry body tracking supply and demand. Global production is approximately 380,000 tonnes per year.

Tin is priced on the London Metal Exchange (LME). Key price drivers include electronics production volumes and the semiconductor cycle, Indonesian export policy (historically a major swing factor), Myanmar supply disruptions, Chinese smelter output, and LME warehouse inventory levels. Tin has historically been one of the most volatile LME metals due to relatively thin supply and concentrated production.

Investors can access tin through LME tin futures contracts (lot size: 5 tonnes), shares in tin mining companies (Alphamin Resources, PT Timah, Minsur), or diversified commodity ETFs. Physical tin can be purchased from specialist dealers. The market is smaller and less liquid than copper or aluminium.