Tin Price in 1983
In 1983, the price of tin averaged $12,988 per tonne, up 1.3% from the year before. This page covers the 1983 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that tin would be worth in today's dollars.
1983 Average
$12,988
LME annual average, USD/tonne
Change vs 1982
+1.3%
from $12,826 in 1982
What happened to the tin price in 1983
Tin averaged $12,988 per tonne in 1983, essentially unchanged from $12,826 in 1982.
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 1983 average of $12,988 equals about $42,028 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 1983?
What is a 1983 tin price worth in today's dollars?
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.