Tin and Silver - The New Electric Metals

Historic high prices for tin and silver are in the cards between now and 2018 as demand for the two metals in solder used in the electronics industry continues to climb and supply fails to keep pace, Jon Hykawy, head of global research at Byron Capital Markets, warned at a conference on electric metals sponsored by the investment dealer in Toronto yesterday.

Prices for the two metals started to climb sharply six years ago after the European Union banned the use of lead in all products sold in Europe effective July 2006. The reasoning behind the Restriction on Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) was that a large percentage of electronic waste is never recycled and that the metals and other materials in electronic devices will simply dissipate into the environment.

Read more: Canadian Mining Journal, 24 April 2012