Indonesian 2010 tin production lowers 12%

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said on Thursday that the country's tin production for 2010 only reached 78,965 tons, 12 percent below the ministry?s target of 90,000 tons.

The ministry?s director general for minerals and coal, Bambang Setiawan, said that logically, with the current soaring global tin price, the country?s production should have at least reached or even surpassed the target.

?I assume there are incidents of smuggling. I have no evidence for this, but there are indications leading to that conclusion,? he said.

State-owned tin producer PT Timah corporate secretary Abrun Abubakar said that the decline in production because on unfavorable weather. Timah produced 39,000 tons of tin in 2010, around 50 percent of the country?s total production. This year, the firm expects to raise production by 28 percent to 50,000 tons. (*)