Global tin prices have surged to record levels as simultaneous supply disruptions in three producing countries collide with accelerating demand for the solder that holds semiconductor chips together. Tin hit an all-time high of roughly USD 59,000 per tonne on June 2, 2026, and was still trading near USD 50,850 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange as of late October, according to Westmetall data — a move driven by structural supply strain rather than speculation.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the M23 rebel group has repeatedly threatened Alphamin Resources’ Bisie mine, which alone accounts for roughly 6% of global tin supply; when fighters seized the town of Walikale in March 2025, Alphamin evacuated staff and shut the mine, and has since cut its 2025 guidance by 12% amid recurring unrest. Indonesia, the world’s largest tin exporter, saw refined exports fall 47% year-on-year in January 2026 and more than 40% again in May, hit by a licensing crackdown on illegal dredging, a regulatory seizure of roughly 500 tonnes of illicit tin and dwindling easy-access deposits. Myanmar’s Man Maw mine, one of the largest tin deposits on earth, is “falling sharply” in output and could be depleted in two to three years.

The International Tin Association forecasts total tin demand will climb 40% by 2030, with demand from AI data-center servers alone set to triple over that period. Global refined production is expected to rise from about 440,220 tonnes in 2026 to 478,340 tonnes by 2030, while consumption climbs faster from 442,110 to 544,260 tonnes, turning a modest 2026 deficit into a structural shortfall of nearly 66,000 tonnes by the end of the decade.