The Crushed Tin Cartel

Large supplies and low demand wreck attempts to fix prices

Tin, the malleable metal that has been considered versatile enough for the coffins of kings in the 17th century and for cola cans in the 20th, is now in trouble in the marketplace. Trading in the commodity has been suspended on the London Metal Exchange since Oct. 24, and it remained unclear last week just when the buying and selling of tin will resume. Says Jacques Lion, chairman of the London Metal Exchange: "The global tin industry is in complete disarray." Some members of the 108-year-old exchange are suggesting that the time may have come for closing the London tin market.

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