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.