Indonesia's Tin Export Freeze Chokes Semiconductor Solder Supply, LME Squeeze Builds

2026-11-06, FP360 — Indonesia's tin export licensure freeze has removed 8,200 tonnes of monthly refined supply, lifting LME 3M tin to $42,850/t (+9.4% week-on-week), as semiconductor packaging plants in Malaysia and Taiwan face solder paste shortages, threatening Q4 chip-on-board output.

The Signal: Tin's supply shock is structural, not cyclical—solder demand is inelastic and inventory cover is thin, so prices have room to run.

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Originally published on FINPULSE 360