Tin

An adaptable metal widely used in consumer electronics, and as a coating or alloy in many products and machine components.

Tin

Tin was one of the first metals used by humans and continues to play a vital role as an alloy in a vast range of applications. It is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion, for solder in printed circuit boards and in a range of roles in lithium-ion batteries.i China is the largest producer and consumer of tin and has the largest identified reserves, with Indonesia following closely behind in both production and identified reserves.  

Tin production is associated with a large range of ESG issues. It is in scope of Section 1502 of the US Dodd Frank Act and the EU Conflict Mineral Regulation, due originally to its association with conflict and human rights abuses in the Great Lakes region of Africa.  

The ESG issues most strongly associated with tin production relate to artisanal and smallscale mining (ASM), which accounts for a relatively high share of production of the mineral. These issues include violence and conflict, pollution, child labour, and occupational health and safety risks 

Main uses and applications

Tin is nontoxic, ductile, malleable, and suited to all kinds of cold-working, such as rolling, spinning and extrusion.ii The low melting point of tin and its firm adhesion to clean surfaces of iron, steel, copper and copper alloys facilitate its use as an oxidation-resistant coating material.iii As pure tin is relatively weak, it is not put to structural uses unless alloyed with other metals.iv The use of tin in alloys means that small quantities of tin are used for many applications that are essential to modern life. 

 

The largest single use of tin is in solder, which is vital for consumer electronics, especially for printed circuit boards. As of 2022, solder accounted for about 50% of the total of 376,900 tonnes of global refined tin. Tin is also widely used as plating (12%) such as for steel cans food containers, in batteries (7%), chemicals (16%), and in tin-copper alloys (7%).v Other everyday uses include as tin piping and valves to maintain purity in water and beverages, or in the form of molten tin as the base for (float) plate-glass production.vi  

Tin is used in multiple ways in car manufacturing and has been described by the International Tin Association (ITA) as the ‘forgotten electric vehicle metal’.vii A number of companies are researching the use of tin as a performance enhancing component in EV battery anodes.viii Research suggests that using a tin and silicon alloy as an anode material to replace graphite could improve charging times.ix Tin is also an important input for solar panels and digitalisation through new technologies, reinforcing its significance for the green transition.x As such it is considered a strategic material in several jurisdictions, such as Australiaxi and the United States.xii    

Key Countries

Top Producer

China

Top Reserves

Indonesia

Supply Chain Risk

TDi Sustainability's data rates Tin's association with the following issues as high or very high:

Country Governance Risks

Tin's association with countries experiencing:

Association with ESG issues

TDi Sustainability's data rates Tin's association with the following issues as high or very high:

children icon Child labour
group icon Community rights violations (OECD Annex II)
buildings icon Company-community conflict (non-Annex II)
changing-hands icon Corruption
falling-rocks icon Degraded/fragmented landscapes
forced-labour icon Forced Labour
silo icon Indigenous Peoples rights
pickaxe-in-hand icon Labour rights
leaf icon Negative biodiversity and conservation impact
tax-calculator icon Non-payment of taxes (Annex II)
hard-hat icon Occupational health and safety
factory icon Pollution
firearm icon Violence and conflict (Annex II)
Very Low Moderate Very High