The tight Chinese domestic tin market may loosen after China's Yunnan Tin, the world's largest tin producer, resumed production in early August after its annual maintenance, sources said.
Although a tin shortage remains in China, sources expect tightness to alleviate in the near future.
Sources estimate that Yunnan Tin's maintenance reduced tin output by approximately 1,500-2,000 tonnes, although the market should have absorbed the shortfall given the yearly occurrence of the maintenance.
The annual maintenance came after persistent power cuts imposed by the Chinese government on tin refineries in Yunnan, which further tightened the domestic market, although it also resulted in stocking of the metal's concentrates for future processing.
Additionally, rising concentrate imports from Myanmar have brought in supplemental feedstocks, which could mean increased production post-maintenance, sources said.
Tin ore and concentrates from Myanmar - which borders Yunnan and is the main tin...