The US Defense National Stockpile Center has suspended the sale of six metals, including tin, and reduced the availability of seven others in response to plans to reconfigure its metals stockpiles, according to American Metal Market/MB.
The DNSC said on 6 August that sales of zinc, tin, iridium, platinum, tantalum carbide powder and columbium metal ingot have been suspended until further notice. It also said that selected quantities of beryllium, cobalt, high carbon ferromanganese, high and low carbon ferrochromium, germanium, tungsten ores and concentrates, and tungsten metal powder, will no longer be available for sale.
"The actions are being taken as a result of an on-going study to address congressional concerns about Department of Defense needs for strategic and critical materials," the DNSC, a unit of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), said. Additional adjustments to inventory and sales may be required in light of the ongoing review, it added.
In the first half of 2008 the DLA released 3,856 tonnes of tin, mainly under a long-term sales agreement with Traxys which was signed at the end of last year. Remaining uncommitted stocks at end-June are reported at 3,863 tonnes.
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