Tin producers limit exports

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 27

Tin producers limit exports

NZPA-AFP Jakarta Five of the seven members of the Association of Tin Producing Countries (ATPC) will limit exports from March 1, an Indonesian mining official has said.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Bolivia and Nigeria had all agreed to impose export quotas as proposed at an ATPC meeting, Mr Hardjoko Seputra, chief spokesman of the mines and energy ministry, told Agence France-Presse. The other two members, Australia and Zaire,

have yet to reply to the group’s proposed export quotas, but “we have a majority. The quotas will be in force starting next month,” he said. The mines and energy minister, Mr Subroto, chairman of the ATPC, said early this month that he had proposed the quotas to the respective governments and their replies were expected before the beginning of March. “We have not received any reply, either rejecting or accepting the proposal, from Australia and Zaire,” Mr Seputra said.

The plan, jointly sponsored by the three southeast Asian producers and unveiled at the ATPC meeting in Kuala Lumpur, called for the seven members to limit total exports to the 1986 total of 96,000 tonnes for the year starting on March 1.

ATPC sources said under the proposal, tin exports from Indonesia would be limited to 24,516 tonnes, Malaysia to 28,526 tonnes, Thailand 19,000 tonnes, Australia 7000 tonnes, Bolivia 13,761 tonnes, Nigeria 1461 tonnes and Zaire 1736 tonnes.