Tin Price in 1980

In 1980, the price of tin averaged $16,775 per tonne, up 8.6% from the year before. This page covers the 1980 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that tin would be worth in today's dollars.

1980 Average

$16,775

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1979

+8.6%

from $15,447 in 1979

What happened to the tin price in 1980

Tin averaged $16,775 per tonne in 1980, up 8.6% from $15,447 the year before. The notable development of 1980: Peak of the pre-crisis boom (~7.73/lb NY dealer)..

Tin peaked near $16,800 in 1980, then the 1985 collapse of the International Tin Council's buffer stock triggered a default and a suspension of LME tin trading that halved the price.

Adjusted for inflation, tin's 1980 average of $16,775 equals about $65,614 in today's dollars. The conversion uses US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the price of tin in 1980?

Tin averaged $16,775 per tonne in 1980, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 8.6% from $15,447 in 1979.

What is a 1980 tin price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, tin's 1980 average of $16,775 works out to roughly $65,614 in today's dollars, using 2025 as the CPI base year. The conversion uses BLS CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

What moved the tin price in 1980?

The defining story of 1980: Peak of the pre-crisis boom (~7.73/lb NY dealer).. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 8.6%, from $15,447 in 1979 to $16,775.

Annual averages are World Bank and LME tin prices per tonne in US dollars (LME cash and settlement basis). The 1985 to 1988 values reflect the Kuala Lumpur Tin Market basis during the LME tin-trading suspension, and the 2025 figure is preliminary. Where daily data exists, the per-year high, low, and close come from MetalCharts historical data. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.