Tin (Sn): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Tin goes into chemicals, tinplate, alloys and solder, and the United States has not mined it since 1993 or smelted it since 1989. In 2025 China produced an estimated 71,000 t, 24% of world mine production (USGS world total: 290,000 t), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for tin in 2025 was 77%. Tin is on the US and Canadian critical minerals lists.
1,600 cents/lb
tin, New York dealer, average in 2025 (+13% on 2024)
Which countries produce tin?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world | Reserves (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 71,000 | 71,000 | 24% | 1,200,000 |
| Indonesia | 55,000 | 61,000 | 21% | 1,400,000 |
| Peru | 32,300 | 33,000 | 11% | 150,000 |
| Brazil | 27,600 | 28,000 | 9.6% | 700,000 |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | 26,000 | 27,000 | 9.3% | 91,000 |
| Bolivia | 21,200 | 15,000 | 5.2% | 400,000 |
| Australia | 11,300 | 12,000 | 4.1% | 570,000 |
| Burma | 20,000 | 12,000 | 4.1% | 700,000 |
| United States | None | None | - | 0 |
| All other countries | 30,350 | 32,100 | 11% | NA |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 294,000 | 290,000 | 100% | >6,000,000 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Tin. Shares are calculated from the country figures and can differ by a point or two from percentages USGS states in its text, because USGS rounds its figures. NA means not available; Withheld means USGS withheld the figure to avoid disclosing company data.
What is tin used for?
Other uses make up 27%. Twenty-five firms accounted for more than 94% of the primary tin consumed in the United States.
- Chemicals: 25% of US use in 2025
- Tinplate: 16%
- Alloys: 12%
- Solder: 11%
- Babbitt, brass and bronze, and tinning: 7%
- Bar tin: 2%
How much does tin cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tin, New York dealer, average | cents per pound | 1,580 | 1,546 | 1,256 | 1,420 | 1,600 |
| Tin, London Metal Exchange (LME), cash, average | cents per pound | 1,478 | 1,423 | 1,177 | 1,368 | 1,500 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Tin. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
Is tin a critical mineral?
Tin is on the US and Canadian critical minerals lists. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Not listed |
| Australia | Strategic materials list |
| Canada | Critical |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
What are the substitutes for tin?
USGS names substitutes for 5 applications of tin, for example cans and containers: aluminum, glass, paper, plastic or tin-free steel. Full tin substitutes page.
Can tin be recycled?
About 17,000 tons of tin from old and new scrap was recycled in the United States in 2025. About 10,000 tons came from old scrap at one detinning plant and 31 secondary nonferrous-metal plants, accounting for 22% of apparent consumption.
What are the supply risks and recent events for tin?
- 2025. The New York dealer price for refined tin averaged 1,600 cents per pound, 13% above 2024, and the LME cash price 1,500 cents, 10% above.
- March to June 2025. US section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum products rose to 25% in March and 50% in June for most countries. Steel products affected included varieties of tinplate.
- 2024 to 2025. A US company with tin operations in Coatesville, Pennsylvania was awarded $19 million under the Defense Production Act, Title III in late 2024 for a domestic tin smelting, refining and recycling facility. It signed a letter of intent with a Rwandan tin miner in May 2025 and in September began building a $65 million tin metal facility in Martinsville, Virginia, expected to operate by late 2026.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Refined tin: Peru, 31%; Bolivia, 27%; Indonesia, 15%; Brazil, 10%; and other, 17%. (USGS)
Resources. Identified US tin resources, primarily in Alaska, are insignificant compared with those in the rest of the world. World resources, principally in western Africa, southeastern Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Indonesia and Russia, are extensive.
Which companies produce or process tin?
6 companies are profiled, including Yunnan Tin Company, Minsur, PT Timah. Full tin companies page.
Frequently asked questions
What is tin used for?
Tin is used in chemicals, tinplate and alloys. Chemicals: 25% of US use in 2025.
Which country produces the most tin?
China produces the most tin: an estimated 71,000 t, or 24% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS mine production figures.
Is tin a critical mineral?
Yes. Tin is on the US and Canadian critical minerals lists. Tin was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for tin in 2025 was 77%.
How much does tin cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of tin at 1,600 cents/lb (tin, New York dealer, average; +13% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Tin. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- Yunnan Tin Company: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (30 March 2026)
- Minsur: consolidated results for the fourth quarter of 2025 (2 March 2026), as hosted on minedocs.com
- PT Timah (Persero) Tbk: Annual Report 2025
- Alphamin Resources: corporate presentation, Q2 2026
- Metals X: quarterly report for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 (27 July 2026)
- Nathan Trotter: press release of 26 September 2024
Related topics
Tin companies
The companies page for tin.
Tin substitutes
The substitutes page for tin.
Tin supply chain and top producers
The supply chain page for tin.
China profile
Production, policy and projects in China.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Aluminum
Profile of aluminum.
