The Kuala Lumpur Tin Market (KLTM) spot price weakened to $8,890 a tonne on a trade of 36 tonnes. The price was unchanged at $8,900 in two previous sessions, on a transaction of 85 and 51 tonnes, respectively.
"We are kind of following the LME again, after the recent aberration," said a trader, referring to the London Metal Exchange. LME's tin price closed $25 down on Friday at $8,850 a tonne.
The London market usually lends direction to the KLTM, but local players ignored it at least twice last week to focus on supply and demand factors at home. Demand for Malaysian tin has softened in recent weeks due to summer holidays in Europe and ample stocking by top buyer Japan.
On Monday's trade, the KLTM saw initial bids for 39 tonnes of from Malaysian and Japanese buyers, against sellers' offers of 109 tonnes.
The smaller drop on the KLTM compared to the LME widened the premium for shipping a tonne of Malaysian tin to Europe, including freight and other costs, to $265 from $250 previously, dealers said.