Myanmar tin mine restarts, think tank says

Myanmar's Man Maw tin mine is beginning a slow restart after operations were suspended in 2023, the International Crisis Group said Thursday, with exports to China increasing in 2026.

The think tank said ore is moving again at the site in eastern Myanmar's Wa region, although output remains well below levels before the suspension. China's imports of tin ore and concentrates from Myanmar in the first half of 2026 have already exceeded the whole of 2025, reaching nearly 40,000 metric tonnes, Beijing customs data shows.

Man Maw became a major global source of tin in the 2010s, helping make Myanmar the world's third-largest tin producer and China's biggest supplier. Tin is used in solder for microchips, circuit boards and other electronics used in data centres.

Crisis Group said satellite imagery showed large new buildings around the mine and higher night-time illumination after a fall following the suspension. Richard Horsey, the group's senior Asia adviser, said there was evidence of “a steady but uneven ramp-up”.

Access to Man Maw and information about its operations are tightly restricted by the United Wa State Army, which controls the area bordering China. Crisis Group said the 2023 shutdown was likely caused by competition for control among Wa groups rather than armed conflict.

The group said the mine may still face profitability problems, including flooded shafts and the depletion of higher-grade ore deposits.