Tin Price in 1988

In 1988, the price of tin averaged $7,052 per tonne, up 5.8% from the year before. This page covers the 1988 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that tin would be worth in today's dollars.

1988 Average

$7,052

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1987

+5.8%

from $6,665 in 1987

What happened to the tin price in 1988

Tin averaged $7,052 per tonne in 1988, up 5.8% from $6,665 the year before. The notable development of 1988: LME tin suspended until June 1989. Value largely non-LME basis..

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 1988 average of $7,052 equals about $19,213 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 1988?

Tin averaged $7,052 per tonne in 1988, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was up 5.8% from $6,665 in 1987.

What is a 1988 tin price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, tin's 1988 average of $7,052 works out to roughly $19,213 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 1988?

The defining story of 1988: LME tin suspended until June 1989. Value largely non-LME basis.. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 5.8%, from $6,665 in 1987 to $7,052.

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.