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Tin rallies: inventories drop after one party takes a big position

The London Metal Exchange (LME), which is a global exchange, saw tin prices and spreads extend their gains sharply on Thursday. This was due to a large position being taken by one party and concerns about supply.

The LME benchmark price of tin is the biggest gainer this year on the exchange, with a 31% increase compared to copper's 13%, as traders have flooded the market.

LME Tin advanced 4.2% on Thursday to $34,160 per metric ton, its highest level since June 2022.

This is speculating on fundamentals. "I would rule out either a consumer or physical player," said an anonymous trader.

In Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, disruptions have affected the supply of the metal. It is mainly used in solder for electronics.

Analyst Yuting Du of broker Marex said: "There's still a lot to be uncertain about when Myanmar will restart their production. However, the semiconductor industry continues to drive strong downstream consumption."

Macquarie predicts that the global tin surplus will be 8,000 tonnes this year. This will increase to 12,000 tons by 2025, compared with a surplus last year of 8,000.

Stocks have been pushed out of LME approved warehouses due to concerns about supply. The number of tons has dropped by 45% this year, to 4,245 tonnes.

The LME Cash Tin Contract has been a premium contract for three months due to tight supply. To jump from $40 a ton on Monday to $350 by the close of business Wednesday, which is the highest premium since July 20,23.

LME data revealed that one party has taken a position long in May futures, which represents more than 40 percent of the open interest. LME data showed that there were also several short positions, including one which accounted for up to 19% of open interest.

"It's a squeeze. There are quite a number of short positions." Most likely, it's someone who doesn't require the metal. "This could get explosive," said a second trader.

This year, fund buying has soared. Investment funds have increased their long positions at the LME up to 3,713 contracts.

This is the highest number since the LME began publishing its Commitments Report of Traders in 2018. There were only 849 contracts long at the beginning of the year.

In recent months, semiconductor sales, a key indicator of electronic good demand, have also recovered.

According to the latest figures released by the Semiconductor Association, global sales were up 16% in February compared to last year. Eric Onstad is reporting; David Evans is editing.