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LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) – Tin production from Rwanda has slowed due to restrictions forcing businesses to operate at 50% of their workforce in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus infections, the International Tin Association (ITA) said.
Tin concentrates production in Rwanda, which has averaged 200 tonnes a month this year, could be halved in the short term as it did in the first lockdown last year, the association said.
Rwanda mandated a curfew from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. and ordered all offices, including government offices, to close from July 1 for two weeks in eight districts and the capital Kigali.
Rwanda’s tin output fell 25% to 1,700 tonnes of tin concentrates in 2020 due to the impact of coronavirus, the ITA said. The country accounts for about 0.6% of global concentrates output and 0.1% of global refined production.
“However, following the lockdown, production recovered rapidly and we suspect that the impact of this two-week lockdown on annual production will be relatively immaterial.”
The government was not immediately available for comment but told Reuters on June 29 that the lockdown would not affect mineral exports.
(Reporting by Zandi Shabalala)
