ATPC to meet in Nigeria

ATPC to meet in Nigeria

ABUJA (Reuter): The Association of Tin Producing Countries
(ATPC) will hold its annual meeting from Sept. 16 to 23 in the
Nigerian capital Abuja, Nigerian officials said.

Officials of the solid minerals ministry said the ATPC
executive would meet from Sept. 16-20, while mining ministers
would hold their meeting from Sept. 20-23.

Up for review at the Abuja meeting is the free market system
of tin sales that has been in operation since the May 1996
suspension of the Supply Rationalization Scheme (SRS), which was
intended to fix prices.

The ATPC has lost its former impact as member countries
ignored quotas which were imposed in a bid to determine world
prices, analysts say. Two countries, Thailand and Australia, left
the association last year.

Remaining members are Bolivia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Nigeria. The former Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, has not officially left but has not attended meetings for
some time.