Spot tin was unchanged at $8,100 a tonne on Monday after rising 3 percent to a 10-month high on Friday. Traders said the market could hold at around $8,100-$8,200 this week, given the narrowing of premium to the European prices.
Three-month tin on the London Metal Exchange (LME), which often lends direction to the KLTM, was unchanged at $8,250 a tonne on Friday. Buyers from Japan and Malaysia bid for a total of 65 tonnes at the market's open in Kuala Lumpur, while sellers offered 60 tonnes.
Overall volume was 60 tonnes, down from Friday's 108. The Japanese ended up with 46 tonnes and Malaysians 14 tonnes.
Dealers said the premium for shipping a tonne of Malaysian tin to Europe calculated on a cost, insurance and freight basis was unchanged at $45. The premium was as high as $155 last week.