Tin purchasing slows as US prices continue climb

Dec 23, 2009 | 10:45 AM | Anne Riley

Both spot and long-term activity in the domestic tin market are dwindling as December comes to a close, traders of the industrial metal said, even as runaway futures prices would appear to suggest otherwise.

"It's dropped off a little bit toward the end of the year. I would even say contracts for next year are kind of slow, which is not normal," one trader said.

A second agreed. "It's been really quiet. Does that mean overall demand has slackened? I don't know about everyone else, but it looks that way to us."

Still murky market conditions are one factor behind the slowdown in buying, traders said. "It's a sign of the times. People are not sure how much they're going to need for next year," the first trader said. "I wouldn't call (the outlook) grim, but it's sort of ho hum. I don't think you can get too excited for demand for 2010. I think some people just aren't buying forward."....