Tin Price in 1998

In 1998, the price of tin averaged $5,540 per tonne, down 1.9% from the year before. This page covers the 1998 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that tin would be worth in today's dollars.

1998 Average

$5,540

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 1997

-1.9%

from $5,647 in 1997

What happened to the tin price in 1998

Tin averaged $5,540 per tonne in 1998, essentially unchanged from $5,647 in 1997. The notable development of 1998: Asian financial crisis weighed on demand..

With LME trading resumed under a new contract in 1989, tin spent the 1990s depressed by post-crisis oversupply, mostly between $5,000 and $6,200.

Adjusted for inflation, tin's 1998 average of $5,540 equals about $10,954 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 1998?

Tin averaged $5,540 per tonne in 1998, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. That average was down 1.9% from $5,647 in 1997.

What is a 1998 tin price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, tin's 1998 average of $5,540 works out to roughly $10,954 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 1998?

The defining story of 1998: Asian financial crisis weighed on demand.. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 1.9%, from $5,647 in 1997 to $5,540.

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.