The Future of Large, Low Grade, Hard-rock Tin Deposits

The price of tin is at historically low levels and tin is in oversupply. Present production is largely from alluvial deposits worked mainly by small- and medium-sized producers. These producers, often undercaptilized and working deposits of declining grade, are faced with rising production costs. It is expected that many will cease production in the future. Interest is therefore beginning to focus on the viability of exploiting large hard-rock tin deposits amenable to low-cost bulk mining methods. Among the countries which appear to have very large reserves of hard-rock tin deposits is China, and it is anticipated that in the future China will be a major supplier of tin.