Tin Price in 2008

In 2008, the price of tin averaged $18,510 per tonne, up 27.3% from the year before. This page covers the 2008 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that tin would be worth in today's dollars.

2008 Average

$18,510

LME annual average, USD/tonne

Change vs 2007

+27.3%

from $14,537 in 2007

2008 High

$25,331

from daily trading data

2008 Low

$10,040

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$10,905

last trading day of 2008

What happened to the tin price in 2008

Tin averaged $18,510 per tonne in 2008, climbing 27.3% from the $14,537 average of 2007. Daily trading data shows tin moved between a low of $10,040 and a high of $25,331 during the year, ending 2008 at $10,905. The notable development of 2008: Peaked ~$25k mid-year, then crashed in the global financial crisis..

After a multi-decade low near $4,060 in 2002, the China supercycle and Indonesian supply disruptions drove tin above $14,500 by 2007, with a 2008 crisis dip.

Adjusted for inflation, tin's 2008 average of $18,510 equals about $27,709 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 2008?

Tin averaged $18,510 per tonne in 2008, based on World Bank and LME annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $10,040 to a high of $25,331, and the year closed at $10,905. That average was up 27.3% from $14,537 in 2007.

What is a 2008 tin price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, tin's 2008 average of $18,510 works out to roughly $27,709 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 2008?

The defining story of 2008: Peaked ~$25k mid-year, then crashed in the global financial crisis.. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 27.3%, from $14,537 in 2007 to $18,510.

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.