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Tin is a silvery-white metal that is soft, malleable and has ductile properties. It is mainly derived from the mineral cassiterite, which contains about 80% tin. The tin market is segmented by product type, application, end-user industry, and geography. By product type, the market is segmented into metals, alloys and compounds. By application, the market is segmented into soldering, tin plating, chemical and other applications (special alloys, lead-acid batteries). Based on end-user industry, the market is segmented into automotive, electronics, packaging, glass and other end-user industries. The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market for tin. The tin market is strongly consolidated, with the top 10 manufacturers accounting for more than 60% of the global market. Some of the major players in the market (in no particular order) include Yunnan Tin Company Limited, PT TIMAH Tbk, Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad, Yunnan Chengfeng Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. and MINSUR.

Due to supply constraints caused by geopolitical unrest, tin futures dipped to $35,250 per tonne after reaching a nearly three-year high of $36,000 per tonne in March. Alphamin Resources was forced to evacuate its tin mine in the DR Congo, one of the biggest in the world, as insurgent terrorist groups pushed their area further. Because export licenses from Indonesia are anticipated to be delayed after bureaucratic pauses in the Lunar New Year, prolonging similar trends from the previous year, this exacerbated the impact of lesser supplies elsewhere. Furthermore, due to political unrest in the country, Myanmar's Man Maw mine has not yet been reopened, according to sources. Lower output from Myanmar’s Wa State in recent years has pressured the availability of ore for Chinese smelters, which continued to report tight conditions of feedstock availability at the turn of the year. On the demand front, increasing investment in hardware for AI technologies continued to underpin buying.

The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market for tin. China is one of the largest tin producers and consumers in the world. The tin market size is estimated to be more than 387 kilotons in 2021 and this market is forecast to reach a CAGR of over 2.5% during the forecast period (2022-2027). The market is negatively affected by COVID-19 in 2020. Tin dealers have been experiencing one of the heaviest pressures on the metal market as COVID-19 fuels a surge in demand due to supply destruction. In the first half of 2021, demand for tin used in electronics exceeded supply, causing prices on the London Metal Exchange to increase by more than 90%. However, the market is expected to grow steadily during the forecast period (2022-2027).