TIN 



639 



percent of the free world's primary tin but pro- 

 duces virtually none, tin remains within the stra- 

 tegic category established by the U.S. Government. 

 Because of this strategic category, a large stockpile 

 of tin was accumulated by the Defense Production 

 Administration during the 1950's. This stockpile 

 contains a required strategic reserve of 232,000 long 

 tons of tin. About 20,000 long tons of tin has been 

 declared surplus from the stockpile and is gradually 

 being disposed of by the General Services Admin- 

 istration. 



Although tin is not produced within the United 

 States, the strategic stockpile is sufficient to guar- 

 antee against a sudden shortage of tin for essential 

 uses. Moreover, because the tin-producing countries 

 are scattered widely throughout the world and across 

 many types of political boundaries, loss of produc- 

 tion from one area can be compensated for within 

 a few years by increased production from other 

 areas. Historically, tin has been available for all 

 peace-time uses, and in fact it has often been in 

 excess supply. Because many of the uses of tin 

 could be met by substitutes, such as tin-free steel, 

 lacquered cans for foods, and aluminum or plastics, 

 tin can be considered at least partly replaceable in 

 the world's technology. 



EXPLOITATION 



A discussion of tin would not be complete with- 

 out mention of the fact that of all the mineral com- 

 modities in world trade, tin is unique in being regu- 

 lated by international agreements, imposed by the 

 International Tin Council. This organization is com- 

 posed of members of most of the major producing 

 and consumer countries. Producing nations contrib- 

 ute funds to the Council; these funds are used to 

 create a buffer stock of tin which is disposed of or 

 acquired by the Buffer Stock Manager, who must 

 buy or sell tin as the world market price goes below 

 or above predetermined prices. In times of over- 

 supply, the Tin Council may impose production 

 quotas which must be adhered to by the signatory 

 producing countries .The actions of the International 

 Tin Council serve to prevent violent price fluctuations 

 and to insure an orderly flow of tin in the world 

 markets. Because of the resemblance of the Tin 

 Council to an international cartel, the United States 

 is not a member. 



Tin has been a standard metal of commerce at 

 least since the late Bronze Age (3500-3200 B.C.). 

 In such a long-lived world trade, diverse cultures 

 have been brought into contact, thus modifying 

 many of the historical cultures. For instance, the 

 Phoenicians regularly transported tin from Corn- 



wall (England) into world markets, the tin being 

 furnished in large part from old alluvial placers. The 

 bronze made from tin was used in all metal tools 

 including weaponry for innumerable centuries. Few, 

 if any, other metals have played such an important 

 continuing part through the development of human 

 civilization. 



Since the beginning of historical times, tin has 

 been available except when major wars or other 

 political events have temporarily disrupted its usual 

 flow. Perhaps never has tin been in jeopardy because 

 of exhaustion of minable reserves, but political 

 events have played the major part in all disruptions. 

 For instance, between 1954 and 1959, production 

 from Indonesia, the Congo, and Bolivia fell 25,000 

 tons, creating a shortfall which raised tin prices to 

 an all-time high. This loss was entirely political and 

 was alleviated by increased production in Malaysia, 

 Thailand, and Australia. When Indonesian produc- 

 tion is reestablished to the 1954 level, an excess of 

 tin will be produced. In fact, Indonesian tin probably 

 will replace some Malaysian tin, if necessary, as a 

 result of imposition of production quotas. 



New discoveries of major tin fields also have been 

 important in maintaining world reserves. The de- 

 posits in the Congo were discovered in 1938, and 

 reserves there must yet be largely unexplored. 

 Within the past 10 years, the discovery and develop- 

 ment of the Rondonian deposits in Brazil have 

 added significantly to world production and very 

 significantly to world reserves. After World War II, 

 large new deposits were found in Siberia; these are 

 sufficiently productive to satisfy the growing Soviet 

 tin needs. To date, no major tin-bearing area of the 

 world can be said to be totally exhausted, as proved 

 by the reestablishment of a significant production 

 in Cornwall, long thought of as being exhausted. 



RELATION TO BYPRODUCTS 



With each technological improvement in beneficia- 

 tion, older deposits are returned to production, and 

 new demands for byproducts have elevated large 

 tonnages of tin ores from the category of resources 

 to reserves. For instance, the tin which may ulti- 

 mately be won during the mining of the Lost River 

 fluorite-tin-tungsten-beryllium deposits in Alaska 

 could amount to as much as 40,000 long tons of tin. 

 Most of this tin was considered a submarginal re- 

 source until the price of fiuorspar rose suflSciently to 

 place large tonnages of rock containing tin, fluorite, 

 tungsten, and some base metals into the reserve 

 category. In the future, other large deposits, in 

 which tin is only one of several valuable commodi- 

 ties, will undoubtedly be brought into production. 



