The ITRI reports that Yunnan Tin Co (YTC) has forecast diminishing tin production from Myanmar over the next few years from its estimate of 24,000 t of tin mined in the country in 2014. In 2014, after six years as a net importer of refined tin, China became a net exporter of the metal due to the rapid growth of tin-concentrate imports from Myanmar which allowed China’s refined tin production to rise 10% to 175,000 t in 2014 compared to the previous year.

YTC recently visited the Man Maw mining area in Myanmar’s Wa County, which has been the location of rapid growth in the countries mined tin production over the last couple of years. At the ITRI China International Tin Forum in Shanghai, YTC’s General Manager, Zhang Fu, outlined the company’s belief that Myanmar’s 2014 tin production was a peak, and that resource and grade depletion at Man Maw will result in a progressive decline in production in the following years.

ITRI is forecasting total annual tin production in Myanmar of 35,000 t in 2015, which represents a 16% increase on the 30,000 t of tin that ITRI estimates was mined in the country in 2014. Both these figures include roughly 2,000 t of tin from operations in Myanmar unrelated to the Man Maw mining area. However, the ITRI concurs with YTC’s view that current levels of tin production from Man Maw are unsustainable and will decrease over the next few years.

Picture courtesy of YTC.