Malaysian tin edged up slightly on Friday as sellers turned cautious after another drop in London prices, dealers said. The spot metal ended up $25 at $6,295 a tonne. Volume fell to 46 tonnes from Thursday's 72. European buyers took 20 tonnes, Japanese buyers took 10 tonnes, and Malaysians the remaining 16.
Initial bids totalled 41 tonnes against offers for 30 tonnes. Three-month tin on the London Metal Exchange, which often guides Malaysian prices, lost $25 to $6,275 on Thursday.
The premium for shipping a tonne of Malaysian tin to Europe rose to $215 from Thursday's $165. The premium takes into account freight, insurance and other costs.