In brief
- Tin is the metal of solder: according to the International Tin Association, solder accounts for 51% of world use, followed by chemicals, tinplate for packaging, batteries and alloys.
- In 2025 mines produced about 290,000 tonnes of tin, concentrated in China, Indonesia, Peru, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bolivia, Myanmar and Australia (USGS).
- The world benchmark is the LME Tin contract (code SN): tin with a minimum purity of 99.85%, lots of just 5 tonnes, prompt dates out to 15 months.
- The price is very sensitive to supply disruptions — the suspension of mining in Myanmar's Wa State, export permits in Indonesia, security in the eastern DR Congo — and to demand for electronics.
- In the FT Mercati archive the highest official price is 57,525 dollars per tonne, on 2 June 2026; the previous high was 50,050 dollars, on 8 March 2022.
What tin is and what it is used for
Tin is a silvery, soft metal that melts at a low temperature, does not corrode easily and is not toxic. These qualities make it irreplaceable in two long-established uses: solder, which joins electronic components to circuit boards, and tinplate, the tin-coated steel sheet used for food cans.
According to the International Tin Association, in 2023 solder accounted for 51% of world tin use. Since European rules excluded lead from electronics from 2006 onwards, solders have been mostly tin alloys with small amounts of silver and copper. Next come chemicals (PVC stabilisers, catalysts), tinplate, lead batteries, copper alloys such as bronze, and float glass.
Who produces tin
According to the US Geological Survey's Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, mines worldwide produced about 290,000 tonnes of tin in 2025, against 294,000 in 2024. The leading producers are China (71,000 tonnes) and Indonesia (61,000), followed by Peru (33,000), Brazil (28,000), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (27,000), Bolivia (15,000), Myanmar (12,000), Australia (12,000) and Vietnam (11,000).
The numbers show how fragile the market is: Myanmar's output fell from about 20,000 to 12,000 tonnes between 2024 and 2025, after the suspension of mining in Wa State decided in 2023, and Bolivia's from 21,200 to 15,000. A few idle mines are enough for a significant share of world supply to go missing.
The reserves recorded by the USGS exceed 6 million tonnes, led by Indonesia and China: tin is not scarce in absolute terms, but bringing new mines into production takes years and investment.
The LME tin contract
The world reference price is set on the London Metal Exchange, on the LME Tin contract. Compared with the other base metals the contract is smaller — 5-tonne lots, because tin is worth a lot per tonne and the market is small — and monthly prompt dates run out to only 15 months. The Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) tin contract, which reflects the Chinese market, is also closely watched.
The main terms of the LME contract:
| Contract code | SN |
|---|---|
| Metal | tin, minimum purity 99.85% |
| Quality | conforming to the BS EN 610:1996 standard |
| Shape | ingots |
| Lot size | 5 tonnes; each warrant 5 t with a tolerance of ±2% |
| Price quotation | US dollars per tonne; also clearable in yen, sterling and euro |
| Prompt dates | daily out to 3 months, weekly from 3 to 6 months, monthly from 7 to 15 months |
| Minimum price fluctuation | 5 dollars per tonne on the Ring and LMEselect; 0.01 dollars for carries and on the inter-office market |
| Last trading day | until the close of the first Ring on the day before the prompt date |
| Settlement | physical delivery: warrants for metal of LME-approved brands stored in approved warehouses |
| Trading venues | Ring (open outcry), LMEselect (electronic) and the inter-office telephone market |
With exchange stocks often of just a few thousand tonnes, a few large deliveries or withdrawals are enough to shift the spread between Cash and three-month: the tin forward curve is one of the most sensitive thermometers of the physical market.
Source: LME, LME Tin contract specifications, read on 29 September 2026.
Why the tin price is rising
Concentrated, fragile supply. A few countries and a few mines make the market, and many of them are in areas with political or security risks. The suspension of mining in Myanmar's Wa State since 2023, delays in export permits in Indonesia and security-related disruptions around the mines of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have taken significant amounts of metal off the market.
Electronics demand. Every printed circuit board needs solder: smartphones, computers, cars that are ever more electronic, data centres and networks for artificial intelligence support demand. Solar photovoltaics uses tin in the solder and in the ribbons of the modules.
Low stocks and a small market. With thin exchange stocks and a market worth a fraction of copper's, even modest financial flows move the price: tin is the most volatile of the base metals.
The dollar and tariffs. As with the other metals, a weak dollar tends to support the dollar price; trade policies change the flows of metal and concentrate between producing countries and smelters.
The recent history of the tin price
The official LME price (Official Cash, ask side) at key moments of the last twenty years, from the FT Mercati archive, in dollars per tonne:
Tin on FT Mercati
Every day we publish on the site the official LME tin price of the previous session, in dollars and euros, with a chart of recent sessions; for the Italian market there is also the Tin Milan index, and tin is a component of the bronze B6 index. Under LME rules, the price of the current session is reserved for users of authorised data vendors.
FT Mercati subscribers follow Cash, three-month and the other prompt dates, closing prices and stocks in LME warehouses in real time, with history and alerts on the web and in the app: in such a volatile market, seeing the price at the moment you buy makes the difference. The service can be tried for free.
Frequently asked questions
What is the tin price today?
On the FT Mercati site you will find, every day, the official LME tin price of the previous session, in dollars and euros per tonne. The price of the current session, in real time, is reserved for subscribers: the LME grants it only to users of authorised data vendors.
Why is tin so expensive?
Because supply is concentrated in a few countries and a few mines, often in high-risk areas, and in recent years it has suffered disruptions in Myanmar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while demand from electronics remains strong. With low stocks and a small market, the price reacts sharply: on 2 June 2026 it reached 57,525 dollars per tonne.
What is tin used for?
Above all for soldering electronic components, which according to the International Tin Association accounted for 51% of world use in 2023. The rest goes into chemicals, tinplate for food packaging, lead batteries, bronze and float glass.
How much does an LME tin lot weigh?
5 tonnes, with a tolerance of ±2% on the warrant weight. The minimum price fluctuation is 5 dollars per tonne and monthly prompt dates run out to 15 months.
Who produces the most tin in the world?
China, with about 71,000 tonnes in 2025, followed by Indonesia with 61,000; then Peru, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bolivia, Myanmar and Australia (USGS data). World mine production was about 290,000 tonnes.
What was the highest tin price?
In the FT Mercati archive of official LME prices, which for tin starts in 1997, the highest value is 57,525 dollars per tonne, on 2 June 2026. The previous high was 50,050 dollars, on 8 March 2022.
Sources
References for this guide. Historical prices come from the FT Mercati archive of official LME prices (Official Cash, ask side).
- LME — LME Tin, contract specifications
- USGS — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Tin
- International Tin Association — study on tin use
This guide is market information, not financial or investment advice: for your company's decisions, consult your advisors.