Monday, Dec. 25, 1939

Tin Relaxed

When the British pound was at its prewar level (near par: $4.86), -L-230 ($1,117.80) per ton would have been a good price for tin--equivalent (with the cost of freight and insurance) to about 48-c- per Ib. As the world's biggest user of tin, the U. S. is much interested in its price. When the official pound was dropped to $4.02-$4.06, -L-230 per ton became equivalent to only 40-c- per Ib. So last week Britain killed her wartime rule, which since September had forbidden the sale of tin on the London Metal Exchange at more than -L-230 per ton. She also upped world production quotas (British-controlled through the International Tin Committee) to 120% of standard. Britain doesn't mean to have a tin shortage in wartime, doesn't mean to give it away because her pound has fallen. Untied, British tin prices last week flew up to -L-275 per ton (equivalent to 48-c- a Ib.), then settled back to -L-255.

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