(RPT) U.S. SAYS TIN DISPOSALS WILL NOT AFFECT ACCORD

  U.S. tin disposals should have little
  effect on an agreement reached last weekend by tin producing
  countries to limit group exports to 96,000 tonnes in the year
  started March 1, a government official said.
      The agreement by the seven-member Association of Tin
  Producing Countries (ATPC) aimed to cut the world surplus and
  boost prices. Following the accord, ATPC Chairman Subroto
  appealed to the United States to restrict its tin releases from
  its strategic stockpile.
      "We don't think that (the U.S. government) has a large
  influence in the (tin) market at this stage of the game," said
  Thomas O'Donnell, Director of International Commodities at the
  State Department. Last year the United States released about
  4,900 tonnes of tin to two ferroalloy firms.
  

