Straits Trading Company

[port]

METALS-Copper falls on Fed warning, China PMI (2011/09/22 16:04PM)

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* LME copper falls to 10-month low as base metals slip
* Copper down 3.3 pct on LME, 4.3 pct on ShFE
* Fed warns of "significant" dangers to U.S. economy
* HSBC flash PMI dipped to 49.4 in Sept from Aug''s 49.9
* Coming up: U.S.Leading indicators, Aug; 1400 GMT


(Updates prices, adds quotes and details)
By Jane Lee
SINGAPORE, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Copper fell on Thursday,
along with other commodities and Asian equities, after the U.S.
FederalReserve warned of "significant" dangers to the world''s
largest economy and on gloomy data out of China.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange
tumbled as much as 3.3 percent to a 10-month low of $8,028.75 a
tonne by 0722 GMT.
The most-active December copper contract on the Shanghai
Futures Exchange closed 4.3 percent lower at 60,260 yuan
a tonne. It is down 16 percent this year.
"Sentiment was mostly pulled down by the Fed''s speech
overnight. They didn''tunveil a QE3 and highlighted the risks
within the U.S. economy on top of it. Macroeconomics news is
just very negatively lately, which weighed heavily on copper
even though its fundamentals are steady," CRU analyst Qu Yi.
"I haven''t seen a lot o support from Chinese buying in
terms of spot demand for ShFE copper. The front-month contract
is trading at a premium to the December contract only due to the
sharp declines in the December contract," she added.
The Fed''s comment came as itunveiled a $400 billion
long-term debt purchase plan. [ID:nS1E78K1V1] Investors
disappointed with the stimulus program sold off commodities,
which were also weighed down by a firmer dollar. <.DXY>
[ID:nS1E78K1SQ]
China''s factory sectorcontracted for a third consecutive
month in September as flagging overseas demand put the brakes on
new orders, HSBC''s China Flash PMI showed on Thursday.
[ID:nL3E7KM0C9]
"Commodities will stay volatile in the short term until they
each findsome consolidation in a new technical range," said
CIFCO analyst Zhou Jie.
"If LME copper breaches its support at $8,000, I fear there
will be more downside risks from here."
Concern that the debt crisis may weaken the euro zone''s
bankingindustry remained in the market, even after Greece
introduced more austerity measures to obtain the release of its
next bailout package next month. [ID:nL5E7KL41Q]
In fundamental news, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
said it wasunlikely to meet its third-quarter sales
estimates because of a strike at its vast Grasberg mine in
Indonesia. [ID:nS1E78K09V]
Chinese copper imports jumped 21 percent on the month in
August, although they were still down by nearly 12 percentfrom
the same month a year ago. [ID:nL3E7KL1B1]
Base metals fell across the board on the LME, with the
three-month tin contract being the biggest loser, diving
7.6 percent to $20,000 per tonne at one point, the lowest level
since Aug.12, 2010.
The most-active November Shanghai lead contract ,
introduced in March this year, shed almost 6 percent in the
session to a record low of 15,020 yuan. The commodity pared
losses to close at 15,245 yuan, 4.6 percent below theprevious
day''s close.


Base metals prices at 0722 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct Move YTD pct chg
LME Cu 8028.75 -271.25 -3.27 -16.37
SHFECU FUT DEC1 60260 -2680 -4.26 -16.13
LME Alum 2292.00 -26.00 -1.12 -7.21
SHFE AL FUT DEC1 16980 -180 -1.05 0.83
HG COPPER DEC1 363.15 -13.25 -3.52 -18.20
LME Zinc 2034.25 -41.75 -2.01 -17.10
SHFE ZN FUT DEC1 15855 -600 -3.65 -18.59
LME Nickel 19880.00 -520.00 -2.55 -19.68
LME Lead 2192.00 -28.00 -1.26 -14.04
LME Tin 20505.00 -1145.00 -5.29 -23.77
LME/Shanghai arb -221

Shanghai and COMEX contracts show most active months
^ LME 3-m copper in yuan, including 17 pct VAT, minus SHFE
third month


(Additional reporting by Carrie Ho in SHANGHAI; Editing by Michael Urquhart)
((Jane.Shenlee@thomsonreuters.com))

((Reuters 3000Xtra subscribers can access Metals Production
Database by clicking on URL below
http://mpd.session.rservices.com
For related news and prices, click on the codes in brackets:
LME price overview COMEX copper futures <0#HG:>
Base metals news [MET] All metals news [MTL]
All commodities news [C] Metals diary [MTL/DIARY]
Foreign exchange rates SPEED GUIDES )

Keywords: MARKETS METALS

[port]

METALS-Base metals rebound after three sessions of rout (2011/09/27 10:33AM)

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* Shanghai copper bounces nearly 5 pct; lead and zinc up
over 5 pct
* Euro zone officials work to boost rescue fund
* Asian shares and euro rise
* Coming up: U.S. CaseShiller 20, Jul; 1300 GMT

(Updates prices, addsdetails)
By Carrie Ho
SHANGHAI, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Shanghai base metals contracts
rebounded sharply on Tuesday, led by gains in Asian equities, on
hopes that euro zone officials will act to stem Greece''s debt
woes and prevent anotherfull-blown banking crisis.
The most-active December copper contract copper on
the Shanghai Futures Exchange rebounded nearly 5 percent at one
point soon after the open, but later pared gains by 750 yuan
($117.18) to 55,150 yuan pertonne by 0135 GMT.
Shanghai lead and Shanghai zinc jumped
more than 5 percent to their session peaks but also rolled back
some gains later.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange
reversed tack, rising 1.4percent to $7,365 a tonneafter having
tumbled to a 14-month low on recession fears.
A multi-session commodity rout, triggered by fears of the
euro zone''s debts, began shortly after the U.S. Federal Reserve
warned of "significant" downside riskto the world''s biggest
economy last week. [ID:nS1E78P0UE]
Since then, policymakers seemed to have heeded investors''
call for more caution in their language and have turned to more
measures to calm the markets.
Sentiment seemed to improve o news that euro zone officials
were working to boost the firepower of the region''s rescue fund
with Asian shares rising in response. [ID:nLDE78P01H]
[MKTS/GLOB]
The Greek government began a race for parliamentary approval
of a stepped-upausterity package vital to keep the debt-laden
euro zone state afloat and buy time for Europe to approve new
rescue measures. [ID:nL5E7KQ2KT]
G20 labour ministers will also meet on Monday and Tuesday in
Paris to face the tricky task of trying t boost job creation
amid a fast-deteriorating economic outlook without undermining
already strained public finances. [ID:nL5E7KQ2U5]
But recent data show the U.S. and euro zone economies still
face significant pressures. Sales and prices of new single-family U.S. homes fell in August despite historically low
mortgage rates. [ID:nS1E78P0KC]
In industry news, a massive power blackout on Saturday that
hit a clutch of mines and plunged millions of Chileans into
darkness cost state coppergiant Codelco 1,413 tonnes of the
metal in lost output. [ID:nS1E78P1TT]
Shares of Ivanhoe Mines fell more than 12 percent
on Monday after Mongolia said it planned to renegotiate a
landmark deal related to the development of the huge OyuTolgoi
copper-gold project. [ID:nS1E78P0AE]
Smelters in Indonesia''s main tin-producing region of Bangka
island have agreed to impose a full export ban on tin ingot from
Oct. 1 until global prices recover, an industry group said on
Tuesday.[ID:nS1E78P1CW]


Base metals prices at 0135 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct Move YTD pct chg
LME Cu 7365.00 99.00 +1.36 -23.28
SHFE CUFUT DEC1 55150 1830 +3.43 -23.24
LME Alum 2234.25 30.25 +1.37 -9.54
SHFE AL FUT DEC1 16455 455 +2.84 -2.29
HG COPPER DEC1 333.60 5.30 +1.61 -24.86
LME Zinc 1922.00 42.00 +2.23 -21.68
SHFE ZN FUT DEC1 14955 615 +4.29 -23.21
LME Nickel 18540.00 540.00 +3.00 -25.09
LME Lead 1948.00 71.00 +3.78 -23.61
SHFE PB FUT 14255 625 +4.59 -22.32
LME Tin 20950.00 625.00 +3.08 -22.12
LME/Shanghai arb -22

Shanghai and COMEX contracts show most active months
^ LME 3-m copper in yuan, including 17 pct VAT, minus SHFE
third month


($1 = 6.401 Chinese Yuan)

(Reporting by Carrie Ho; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
((carrie.ho@thomsonreuters.com)(+86 21 61041775)(Reuters
Messaging: carrie.ho.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords:MARKETS METALS/

[port]

RPT-analYSIS-Indonesia tin ban to lift prices if exporters toe line (2011/09/28 10:19AM)

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(Repeat of story published late on Tuesday)
* Near-term price support, but economic factors still
dominate
* Indonesia tin association says $23,000/T is break-even
level
* Doubts cast over smelters'' resolve if prices creep higher

By Michael Taylor
JAKARTA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Indonesia''s plan to halt tin
exports will offer long-term price support only if smelters
stick to the ban, which is not certain.
Smelters in the main producing region of Indonesia, the
worldtop refined tin exporter, agreed to impose a ban on tin
ingot shipments from Oct. 1 until global prices recover to above
$25,000 a tonne.
The news has supported London prices , which edged up
on Friday and Monday as other base metals sol off in a global
commodities rout.
"It''s sort of an act of desperation," said David Thurtell,
an analyst at Citigroup. "The danger is, if it goes on for too
long, you''ll get some sort of breaking in the ranks.
"It seems to have had animpact but the market will be
sceptical that it will last," he added. "It is a long way off
the record highs, but for the industry to wish that it was going
back to $25,000 is like wishing the sun wouldn''t come up."
Analysts say Indonesian tinsmelters run the risk of
substitution, with solder possibly being made from lead instead.
There are also legal doubts about the move.
State-owned Timah , the world''s largest integrated
tin miner, attended Monday''s meeting and has agreedto suspend
tin ingot shipments. But market players doubt if Timah -- which
is looking at a threshold of $23,000-$24,000 a tonne before
lifting the ban -- will impose the export curb.
"Such a move by Timah is very unlikely as they market their product mostly on a contract basis," said an Indonesia-based
industry expert.
"Reducing sales in the spot market is possible but not
breaching sales contracts."
Commenting on Timah''s price target, Johan Murod, general
secretary of theIndonesian Tin Industry Association, said in a
text message:
"We cannot export at a price of $23,000 because this price
is only a break-even point for small (scale) mining. $25,000 is
a rational price for tin."
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
For an Indonesia tin export/price graphic:
http://link.reuters.com/tyr93s
Commodity prices then and now:http://link.reuters.com/vam88r

Global metal stocks: http://link.reuters.com/deg67n
FACTBOX-Indonesia''s tin industry [ID:nSGE6A20D2]
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
Tin, mainly used in solders for electronics, struck a record
high above $33,000 atonne in April, driven by a crackdown on
illegal mining, tighter export rules, falling onshore reserves
and rain that had hindered production in Indonesia. But like
other base metals, the price has slumped on fears of a global
recession.
Tin onthe London Metal Exchange jumped 5.5 percent to
$21,450 by 1020 GMT, on Indonesia''s plan to ban exports and on
hopes of more bailout measures for banks in Europe. The price of
the metal rose 2.5 percent combined on Monday and Friday, while
other basemetals fell.
"If they stop shipments for a month, that will put the
squeeze on prices," said Nicholas Trevethan, a senior metals
analyst at ANZ Bank in Singapore. "But I don''t know how
well-disciplined this moratorium will be.
"They arestill producing," he added. "The loss of
Indonesian supply is significant for the market -- but stocks at
21,000 tonnes would be enough to meet lost Indonesian supply for
two months."
Tin stocks in LME warehouses stand at 21,295 tonnes, up from 16,375 tonnes in early January. <0#LME-STOCKS>
Indonesia is expected to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of tin
ore in 2011, versus around 96,000 tonnes last year, according to
industry association ITRI.

CRACKDOWN
Bangka, offSumatra''s east coast, is the world''s top
tin-producing area.
Trade ministry data showed refined tin exports at 92,487
tonnes for full-year 2010, compared with 99,287 tonnes in 2009.
Indonesia exported 67,989.84 tonnes in the first eight months this year, the data showed.
Indonesia, the world''s second-largest producer of the metal
after China, has a track record of supply issues that often
impact prices.
In early August, the association said police carrying out an
environmentalcrackdown in Bangka were hindering domestic
smelters'' supplies. [ID:nL3E7JA0J5]
Indonesian trade officials said last month they were looking
to revise royalty payments made on all domestic tin shipments,
to close a tax loophole. [ID:nL3E7JI2D9]
"You couldn''t get away with this kind of thing in Europe or
North America," said ANZ''s Trevethan, citing anti-trust
legislation.
Analysts see the global tin market in a 15,000-20,000 tonnes
deficit this year, with new mining projects notseen taking off
until at least 2013.
"This isn''t going to create a deficit -- they are still
producing," said Trevethan. "It is going to create an
interesting wobble in the market, but that supply will
eventually come back to the market."
Like many other commodities, base metal investors are
largely ignoring fundamentals to focus on the slowdown in
global economic growth. [MET/L]
"It is going to be a huge support to the market from a
fundamental point of view," Judy Hui Zhu,analyst at Standard
Chartered Bank in Shanghai, said on Indonesia''s export plans.
"But investors in base metals markets and other commodities are
not looking at the fundamentals.
"Concern about the global economic outlook is the dominant
factorfor now," she said.

(Editing by Ramthan Hussain)
((michael.taylor@thomsonreuters.com)(+62 21 3846364)(Reuters
Messaging:
michael.taylor.thomsonreuters.com@thomsonreuters.net))

Keywords: INDONESIA TIN/EXPORTS

[port]

landbank.....area(ft2)......carrying value (million in SGD) as at 30 june 11......average psf
Spore
(3 plots at nathan road).........48900.............69.3...........1417
Malaysia.....1470,000........34.5............23.50

Investment properties)......carrying value (million in SGD) as at 30 june 11
2 black & white bungalows at cable road....48.3
14 units of holland collection.....50.8
31 units of Gallop Green.....200
1 unit of Gallop Gable........0.80
Rendezvous Hotel Singapore..........186
Rendezvous Observation City Hotel......69.7
The Marque Perth................................29.8

---

STC building spore.........385
STC building KL............18.7
4 GCB at cable road.......109.9
12 bungalows at 5 chancery......37.5

[port]

Tin Seminar Presentation
http://www.itri.co.uk/index.php?option=c...&Itemid=11

[pianist]

Tin Seminar Presentation
http://www.itri.co.uk/index.php?option=c...&Itemid=11

thanks for the url. Are u vested with Straits Trading?

[port]

Tin Seminar Presentation
http://www.itri.co.uk/index.php?option=c...&Itemid=11

thanks for the url. Are u vested with Straits Trading?

vested since apr at 3.91. how about u?

---

world markets % loss in 2011
STI...17%
SSE...21.7%
HSI....20%
Nikkei....17.3%
S&P/ASX200...14.5%
Kospi.....11%

My paper loss in STC based on closing px of 3.48(cost of 3.91).....11%
To breakeven on my investment in STC, STC will hv to go up by 12.4%

[port]

it's confirmed WBL subsidiary, mflex or Multi- Fineline Electronix, Inc., is a supplier to apple

[port]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-17...ities.html

[port]

does STC possess a durable competitive advantage even though it has been in business for the past 124 yrs?

will tin be replaced by other metals in the future?

interesting.... STC limited liquidating Straits trading pte ltd(paid up capital: 2 sgd)