Tin, Bangka-Belitung (PT Timah)

Tin, the indispensable solder of every circuit board, depends largely on Indonesia, the second producer and leading exporter worldwide, of which about 90% comes from the Bangka-Belitung islands. The state company PT Timah dominates legal supply there, but the sector is undermined by illegal mining and erratic export permits: Jakarta has several times suspended its cargoes, sending world prices soaring. A discreet metal that global electronics cannot do without, with a concentrated and volatile supply.