Malaysia's tin market closed lower on Tuesday for a third straight day of losses, further narrowing the wide premium over London Metal Exchange prices.
Spot tin on the Kuala Lumpur Tin Market (KLTM) ended down $20 at $6,450 a tonne on volume of 71 tonnes the highest this month.
On Friday, it fell $100. Traders said the premium over the LME now stood at $285 a tonne, down from Monday's $320.
Until December, premium was around $200-$250. But a run-up on the KLTM since has seen it going even beyond $400 a tonne, making Malaysian tin expensive for European buyers.
European, Japanese and Malaysian buyers took all the tin offered on Tuesday.