China's refined tin output fell 10.7% in April from the previous month amid a lack of tin concentrate imports and as a smelter in southwest China suspended production, research house Antaike said on Thursday.
Combined output from 18 Chinese tin smelters surveyed fell to 10,893 tonnes from 12,203 tonnes in March, said Antaike, the research arm of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association.
Smelters continued to restore production after the coronavirus outbreak but a slow recovery in downstream demand and a shortage of imported raw material capped the ramp-up, it said.
China relies on neighbouring Myanmar for more than 90% of its tin concentrate imports and mines in the Southeast Asian country have been short of workers amid the pandemic.
Major smelter China Tin, with an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes, also had to temporarily suspend production for technical renovations and plans to resume operations after May 20, Antaike said.
China Tin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tin sales are expected to continue to improve in May but output is at risk of further decline due to lower raw material supply, Antaike said.
(Reporting by Tom Daly; editing by Jason Neely)
