ABSTRACT
The ITC saw itself as obligated to administer restriction in such a way as to meet the needs of both consumers and producers and its guiding principle was stability, both over the short term in the elimination of price fluctuations and over the long term in moderating the commodity cycle. However, the competitive position of tin in the ultimate commodity market was far less stable. One potential source of that instability was, of course, the ITC’s own price policy and its critics often alleged that it was encouraging the search for substitutes. Shoring up the competitive position of the metal, on the other hand, was the responsibility of the ITRDC. These processes of market erosion, expansion and consolidation will be reviewed primarily on the basis of the evidence available from the USA. Not only was this the largest market but it was also the most dynamic and any trends visible here can be extrapolated to provide a picture of the problem facing the ITC.
