Nathan Trotter & Co. Secures DoD Funding to Expand Tin Refining Capacity

Secondary refined tin and solder producer Nathan Trotter & Co. has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to receive funding to expand the country's tin smelting and refining capacity. The project will involve constructing comprehensive tin smelting and refining facilities in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, to de-risk the tin supply chain. Nathan Trotter will share in the costs for both the preliminary engineering study and the necessary equipment for the project.

In 2023, the United States consumed 35,800 tonnes of refined tin, while producing only 10,000 tonnes domestically, with the remainder imported primarily from South America and Indonesia. The expansion aims to reduce this reliance on imports and strengthen the domestic tin supply chain.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, emphasized the strategic importance of domestic tin refining capacity: "Tin refinement and processing capacity is essential for both defense and commercial aviation and microelectronics. The first Defense Production Act investment in the tin industrial base will directly counter the United States' reliance on foreign tin refiners and reduce supply chain vulnerabilities."

The International Tin Association (ITA) has expressed interest in the increased focus on smelting and refining capacity outside of China, particularly in the United States, which is the second-largest consumer of tin globally and over 70% reliant on imports. Concerns about supply chain risk have been growing, exacerbated by supply disruptions in Indonesia and Myanmar, which are expected to contribute to a refined tin market deficit of 10,400 tonnes in 2024.