PT Timah Expands Tin Export Markets to Philippines, UK

PT Timah Broadens Tin Sales Reach With New Markets in the Philippines and United Kingdom

Tempatdonasi.com – Indonesia’s state-owned tin producer PT Timah Tbk is widening its overseas customer network in 2026, adding the Philippines and the United Kingdom to its export reach as it prepares to pursue opportunities in the Middle East next year.

The expansion reflects the company’s effort to respond to increasing tin requirements in a number of industrial markets. PT Timah Production and Commercial Director Ilhamsyah Mahendra said the company had moved to develop new global destinations while also raising its presence in countries where it already sells metal.

“For the global market, PT Timah has expanded its markets in 2026.”

The Philippines has become one of the company’s newly developed Asian destinations. In the United Kingdom, PT Timah is focusing on customers in Southampton. The business is also seeking stronger sales volumes across established markets, with India standing out as a major area of growth.

India’s Share Rises Sharply

India’s portion of PT Timah’s market increased from 5 percent previously to 12 percent in 2026. Ilhamsyah linked that improvement in part to the continued development of India’s mobile-phone and semiconductor industries, both of which rely on manufacturing supply chains where tin has important applications.

“India has been the most significant. India’s market share in PT Timah’s market was previously only 5 percent, but this year it has grown to 12 percent.”

Vietnam has also delivered higher sales volumes for the Indonesian producer. Together, the gains in India, Vietnam, the Philippines and the UK show PT Timah’s intention to diversify its customer base while retaining a strong footing in Asia.

Tin is a widely used industrial metal, particularly in electronics manufacturing. It is commonly used in solder, which joins electronic components and supports the production of devices ranging from consumer electronics to broader industrial equipment. PT Timah’s data places solder at roughly 53 percent of global tin consumption. Tin-based chemicals account for 16 percent, while tinplate represents 11 percent.

Asia Continues to Dominate Exports

PT Timah remains heavily export-oriented. For the January-to-June 2026 period, foreign shipments represented 97 percent of the company’s tin-metal sales, leaving domestic sales at 3 percent.

Asia was by far the largest destination region, taking 75 percent of sales during the first half of the year. China accounted for 35 percent, making it PT Timah’s biggest single market. India and Japan each contributed 12 percent, while South Korea made up 11 percent. Taiwan represented 3 percent, and both the Philippines and Vietnam accounted for 1 percent each.

Europe contributed 19 percent of sales. The Netherlands held the largest European share at 9 percent, followed by Italy at 5 percent. Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, Türkiye and the United Kingdom each accounted for 1 percent.

The Americas made up the remaining 3 percent of PT Timah’s sales mix. The distribution illustrates how central Asian demand remains to the company’s commercial strategy, even as it works to create additional outlets in Europe and other regions.

Middle East Planned as a 2027 Target

PT Timah plans to continue its overseas market development in 2027. The Middle East is expected to be among the company’s principal targets after plans to cultivate the region in 2026 were delayed.

“And of course, the Middle East will be one of our target markets next year, in 2027.”

Alongside a Middle East push, the company intends to keep developing European customers and raise sales in the United Kingdom, Vietnam, the Philippines, India and other markets. Expanding into more destinations can give a producer greater flexibility as demand changes among countries and industries.

The company’s market push comes as global consumption has exceeded production. During the first six months of 2026, worldwide tin output was estimated at about 173,600 metric tons, while consumption reached around 179,300 metric tons. That gap represented a supply deficit of approximately 3 percent for the period.

For PT Timah, the imbalance between production and consumption reinforces the importance of securing reliable customers in markets connected to electronics, semiconductors and other manufacturing activity. The company’s 2026 expansion and its planned 2027 Middle East initiative place export growth at the center of its response to changing global tin demand.