Indonesia Probing Surge in Exports of Nickel Ore

Release time：Nov 04, 2019 From：admin

Straits Times reported that Indonesia is probing a sudden surge in nickel ore exports and has told miners to suspend them. The world's biggest nickel ore producer is looking into whether the exports comprised only unprocessed low-grade mineral, defined as below 1.7% nickel. The country has banned all exports of higher-grade ore and is allowing only the export of low-grade mineral until the year-end, in its attempt to get miners to build nickel smelters and thus expand local processing capacity. Indonesia, which limits exports by allocating strict quotas to eligible miners, has long required higher-grade nickel ore to be processed at domestic smelters.

Mr Bahlil Lahadalia, chief of the investment coordinating board, said the country's nickel miners agreed on Monday to stop nickel ore exports immediately.