U.S. tin disposals should have littleeffect on an agreement reached last weekend by tin producing
countries to limit group exports to 96,000 tonnes in the year
started March 1, a government official said.
    The agreement by the seven-member Association of Tin
Producing Countries (ATPC) aimed to cut the world surplus and
boost prices. Following the accord, ATPC Chairman Subroto
appealed to the United States to restrict its tin releases from
its strategic stockpile.
    "We don't think that (the U.S. government) has a large
influence in the (tin) market at this stage of the game," said
Thomas O'Donnell, Director of International Commodities at the
State Department. Last year the United States released about
4,900 tonnes of tin to two ferroalloy firms.
 Reuter
