of the world's largest tin users for its
sizable tinplate operations.
Germany.-The two largest German
steelmakers, Thyssen and Krupp Hoesch,
announced the merger of their tinplate,
electrical steels, and stainless steels flat
products operations. Officials were clear
that this was not a precursor to merging
the two steel giants. Under the new
system, Thyssen would run the merged
tinplate and electrical steels operations,
while Krupp Hoesch would run the
stainless flat products operations. The
division of authority paralleled the
partners' relative strengths. Thyssen's
Rasselstein subsidiary has long been the
leader in German tinplate production (its
1993 output of 670,000 tons per year
represented about 70 % of Germany's
tinplate manufacture), while Krupp
Hoesch was Germany's largest factor in
stainless flat products.
Th. Goldschmidt AG acquired the tin
chemicals operations of Rh6ne-Poulenc at
Clamecy, France, and conditionally
acquired Pitt Metals & Chemicals, Inc. in
Pittsburgh, PA. The Pitt transaction was
pending U.S. Government approval.


Goldschmidt viewed its new acquisitions
as complementing its existing production
facilities in Germany and broadening its
technology base. The firm's offerings
soon would include the major inorganic
compounds used mostly in metal
finishing, as catalysts in chemical
processes, stabilizers, and intermediate
chemicals.   Goldschmidt reportedly
favored inorganic tin compounds in its
product   mix   because  of   their
environmental record and ease of
recycling.
Hong Kong.-The financially ailing
Aainland Metals and Minerals Co. was
bsorbed by a group of creditors. The
treditors group comprised five firms:
,heerglory Traders, Pacific Capital, ING
lank, BRI Finance, and Zhu Kuan Co. A
Aainland representative indicated that
lese five creditors have suspended their
wn claims to their debts, settled a
umber of outstanding debts to other
,istomers, and planned to inject further


capital  as  and  when    necessary.
Mainland's production had ceased before
the takeover; the smelter began again
operating around the clock and producing
at the rate of 5,000 tons yearly.
Indonesia. -Government-owned tin
producer P.T. Tambang Timah
announced it was continuing with a
program of restructuring designed to
maintain profitability despite eroding tin
prices.   The  first phase  of the
restructuring began a few years ago and
eliminated noncore business and social
commitments such as schools for
employees' children. Then the company
relocated its administrative departments
from Jakarta to the island of Bangka,
where most mining and smelting
operations were located. Timah credited
these moves with speeding up decision
mak;ing and reducing overhead. Also,
technical improvements were made to
production equipment and supporting
facilities. The second phase of Timah's
restructuring involves staff development,
education, training, and more effective
use  of human   resources.   Timah
anticipated 1994 tin production to be
similar to that of 1993. All of Timah's
domestic tin mine production was smelted
at the firm's Bangka and Mentok tin
smelters, which have a total capacity of
about 32,000 tons annually. Most of the
output (95%) is exported, with 50%
going to Asian consumers and the balance
to the United States and Europe.
Renison Consolidated Goldfields Ltd.
(Australia) announced plans to expand its
tin miig operations in Indonesia. It
planned to raise output at its 75 %-owned
Indonesian subsidiary, P.T. Koba Tin,
from 7,500 tons yearly to 10,000 by
commissioning another dredging unit.
The new dredger was to be similar to the
Merapin unit already operating and was
to start operations in late 1995. The
dredger was operating in Malaysia, and
Renison calculated it could take 28
months to decommission it and transport
it to Indonesia. The dredger represented
an investment of $14 million and
followed the discovery of 10 years worth
of additional tin reserves in the Bemban
area of Indonesia. Average tin grades


were said to be high, and Renison
expected to effect a reduction in its
already low operating costs as a result of
the investment.
Japan.-Nippon Steel Corp., the
world's largest steelmaker and perhaps
the world's largest tinplate producer,
reportedly was rapidly increasing the
quantity of used steel cans it purchases
for recycling at its Kimitsu plant. Since
the start of 1993, the weight of cans
recycled was reported to have increased
to more than 1,000 tons monthly.
Nippon, which started recycling used
steel cans at Kimitsu in 1984, planned to
reach a level of 2,000 tons recycled
within 1 or 2 years.
Malaysia.-Malaysia Mining Corp.
(MMC), once the world's largest tin
mining organization, announced the
imminent cessation of all domestic tin
mining operations because of low tin
prices. MMC announced that it would
concentrate on its more lucrative diamond
and gold properties, often in other
countries. It was reported that MMC had
been losing money on its tin operations
for several years. In the early 1950's,
Malaysia had about 1,000 tin mines,
compared with fewer than 100 in 1993.
At the start of 1993 MMC operated 10
dredges.  Some observers faulted the
absence of a vigorous tin exploration
program to seek new higher grade
deposits as the older deposits became
excessively worked down to lower grade
status.  Other observers noted that
Malaysia's fast growing economy created
a situation where much potential mining
land was economically unviable for
mining because the surface value (for
other economic pursuits) was much
higher. MMC retained 42% ownership
in Malaysia Smelting Corp., which was
one of the country's two large tin
smelters.
The Zemex Corp. (United States)
announced that it had sold its 70%
ownership of Perangsang Pasifik
Senderian Berhad, its tin dredging
operation in Malaysia, to Americo Co.,
an Oklahoma-based oil and gas producer.


-1993




I








I




1199