THE WORLD'S TIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 19, 20 February 1942, Page 8

THE WORLD'S TIN

CONQUESTS BY JAPAN

ALLIES MUST CONSERVE

The tin output which Japan now controls in Indo-China, Thailand and Malaya amounted in 1940 to 45 per cent of the world output. The Netherlands East Indies produced 19 per cent, while China (in areas unoccupied by the Japanese) and Burma together accounted for 6 per cent. Thus 70 per cent of the world output is in South-east Asia. There are several ways o*f meeting the stringency in tint (1) Tin production in non-Asiatic countries can be increased. Of. the 30 per cent of world output prcducecT by these countries, five-sixths comes from Bolivia, Belgian Congo and Nigeria. It has been suggested that the annual output in Nigeria and Belgian Congo might be increased to about 20,000 tons each—nearljr twice the 1940 rate of production. (2) Stocks of tin in the United States are estimated at rather more than a year's consumption at the present liberal rate. (3) Considerable economics in consumption can be effected both by doing without certain tin-plate products and by the use of substitute material*. (1) In the United States in 1937, tin derived from scrap amounted to 2754 long tons, or about .one-quarter of the American consumption that vear.