# Man Maw A single tin mine in territory the Myanmar government does not control, whose internal management decisions move the London Metal Exchange. Man Maw sits in the Wa Self-Administered Division of northern Shan State and accounts for almost all tin production in a region that is among the world's largest producers and the dominant supplier to Chinese smelters. **Roughly 7–10% of global mine supply and about 70% of Myanmar's output** — figures vary by source and year; attribute them. Its owner-operator, in every practical sense, is the [[United Wa State Army]]. ## The suspension that moved the market On **1 August 2023** the Wa authorities ordered a **complete suspension of mining and processing** for a resource audit. The stated rationale was regulatory overhaul and environmental protection; the market read it as conservation and price leverage. LME tin spiked past **$36,000 a tonne**. - **September 2023:** operators permitted to process surface stockpiles only. - **January 2024:** the ban lifted for most Wa mining — **with Man Maw the major exception.** Surface stockpiles were by then largely exhausted. - **September 2025:** no evidence of ramp-up. China's tin concentrate imports from Myanmar were **down 77% year-to-date to 14,200 tonnes**, against roughly 15,000 tonnes *per month* when Man Maw was running. ## The restart, which is real and partial Several operators secured three-year permits in **July 2025**; LME tin fell 1.6% on the news. Exports averaged about **630 tonnes a month** of contained tin from May to October 2025, rising to about **1,300 tonnes a month** in November and December. On **27 February 2026** the Wa mineral bureau formalised a **dewatering cost-sharing mechanism** — a 5% fee on concentrate from the first ore batches across eleven mine portals, to fund joint dewatering of the flooded deep workings, effective 1 March. Combined with the existing **30% tax-in-kind**, the operator burden is now about **35%**. The International Tin Association projected 2026 exports approaching **20,000 tonnes** of contained tin if Chinese domestic prices hold above RMB 350,000/t — still well below the pre-suspension run-rate. China's March 2026 imports from Myanmar were up **224% year-on-year**, confirming genuine recovery. **As of August 2026 there has been no further specialist reporting on restart progress since March**, and LME tin cash settled at **$55,900/t on 10 August 2026** — historically elevated. ## Why it belongs in the cluster Man Maw is the cleanest illustration of a problem no regime addresses. **A non-state army of roughly 30,000 makes an opaque internal decision, and a London exchange reprices.** There is no disclosure obligation, no due-diligence trigger, no sanctions listing. Myanmar tin falls under the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation as a 3TG mineral from a high-risk area — and under no American rule at all, because [[Dodd-Frank Section 1502]] reaches only the DRC and its neighbours. ## See also [[United Wa State Army]] · [[Myanmar Conflict Minerals]] · [[Dodd-Frank Section 1502]] · [[Critical Minerals]] · [[Conflict Resources Atlas]]