Tin: Movement

How Indonesia forced smelting to happen at home

What this tab covers How it flows between countries: the largest bilateral trade routes drawn on a world map, 2024 UN Comtrade export and import values with the top exporters and importers by share, plus shipping routes, chokepoints and trade restrictions.

Unwrought tin (HS 8001) traded about $5.9 billion in 2024 (Comtrade). Indonesia shipped 23.9% of export value as refined metal, not ore. Indonesia stopped exporting raw tin early, in 2003, and later extended the policy to other minerals (Pitron). Peru followed with 15.5%, then China, Malaysia and Bolivia at about 9% each. Buyers are the electronics and tinplate economies: the US 13.8%, China 12.7%, Japan 9.9%, South Korea 7.7%, Germany 7.4% and India 7.1%. Much Myanmar concentrate crosses overland into Yunnan's smelters.

Where it is exported from and imported to, 2024

Chart: World map of the largest trade flows

Exporter (size = share of world exports) Importer (share of world imports) Shipping chokepoint UN Comtrade 2024. Bubbles: shares of reported world exports and imports for the main traded form. Country-to-country route lines are not available for this commodity yet. Hover a circle for values.

Unwrought tin · HS 8001

World exports 2024 $5.93 bn sum of 40 reporting countries World imports 2024 $5.76 bn sum of 40 reporting countries Top exporters, share of value Indonesia 23.9% Peru 15.5% China 9.1% Malaysia 9% Bolivia 8.9% Belgium 5.3% Top importers, share of value United States 13.8% China 12.7% Japan 9.9% South Korea 7.7% Germany 7.4% India 7.1% UN Comtrade, reporter declarations to the world, US$. Exports and imports are reported separately, so totals differ. Re-exporting hubs (Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE) can appear large.