Myanmar tin mine resumes operations as China imports surge

Yangon, September 10 — One of the world's largest tin mines in an autonomous region of Myanmar, the Man Maw mine, is resuming operations after a suspension in 2023, Reuters reported. The mine, which has emerged as a crucial supply source for China, is ramping up exports of tin to the Asian nation, the International Crisis Group think tank said.

Tin is a vital element for the artificial intelligence industry, used in soldering microchips to circuit boards and bonding together other electronics in data centers. The mine's sudden closure coincided with the start of the AI boom in the 2010s, causing a price surge and a scramble for the metal. However, the think tank noted that output remains well below pre-suspension levels.

China's imports of tin ore and concentrates from Myanmar in the first half of 2026 have already surpassed 2025's total, at nearly 40,000 metric tonnes, according to Beijing's customs data. Satellite imagery shows new buildings going up near the Man Maw site, and night-time illumination has returned to higher levels, suggesting increased activity.

Production levels are still far from the mine's peak, which saw Myanmar supply nearly 500,000 metric tonnes of tin ore and concentrate to China in 2016, accounting for over 99 percent of such imports. Despite the slow ramp-up, senior Asia advisor Richard Horsey of the Crisis Group told AFP that the revival of the mine is likely to have far-reaching implications in the international race for resources critical to AI.

The mine's operations are highly restricted by the ethnic minority army, the United Wa State Army, which has a history of sanctions for narcotics trafficking.