Tin — Supply structure report

Supply structure: mine production by country

World tin mine production ran at roughly 290,000 tonnes of contained metal in 2025, fractionally below the previous year^[1]. That total is small by the standards of the base metals, and it is unusually badly distributed: five jurisdictions account for the large majority of it, and two of the five are among the least predictable mining jurisdictions in the world.

China remains the largest producer at an estimated 71,000 tonnes, flat year on year, on reserves of about 1,200,000 tonnes^[1]. Indonesia recovered to roughly 61,000 tonnes from 55,000 tonnes as enforcement pressure eased, and holds the largest declared reserve base at about 1,400,000 tonnes^[1]. Peru contributed some 33,000 tonnes, almost all of it from a single operation, on a reserve base of only about 150,000 tonnes^[1]. Brazil produced roughly 28,000 tonnes^[1].

The two entries that carry the risk are the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar. The DRC produced an estimated 27,000 tonnes, concentrated on one deposit, against declared reserves of only about 91,000 tonnes^[1]. Myanmar fell some 40 percent to around 12,000 tonnes^[1]. Together the two represent close to a fifth of world supply, and both operate under licensing regimes that can be altered without notice^[1].

Elsewhere the picture is one of managed decline or small scale. Bolivian output fell roughly 29 percent to about 15,000 tonnes^[1]. Australia produced around 12,000 tonnes from a single Tasmanian operation^[1]. Rwanda contributed an estimated 4,600 tonnes and Nigeria an estimated 3,500 tonnes, both overwhelmingly from artisanal and small-scale workings^[1].