Malaysian tin ended flat on Friday despite gains on the London Metal Exchange (LME), with the high local premium deterring European buyers.
Spot tin on the Kuala Lumpur Tin Market (KLTM) was quoted at $9,180 a tonne, with 48 tonnes transacted. For the week, it was down $200 or 2.1 percent.
"The KLTM is under a bit of pressure as the premium to LME is still very high. It needs to come off further in order to bring the Europeans back to the market," said a dealer.
Tin on the LME, which often dictates price direction in Kuala Lumpur, rose $150 on Thursday to $8,750 a tonne, despite further stock increases. Stocks rose 790 tonnes to 6,355 tonnes, due to 830 tonnes shipped into Singapore, which now holds 4,530 tonnes of the total.