Indonesia plans to accelerate ban on bauxite exports

Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian Government will ban bauxite exports starting this year to spur the domestic downstream sector, the country’s President Joko Widodo has said.

The ban was initially slated to start in mid-2023 as detailed in Regulation No. 17/2020 of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

The Government will also ban the export of "raw copper" starting in 2023, which is in line with the energy ministry regulation, President Widodo told an event marking the founding anniversary of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) on January 10.

In early 2020, Indonesia banned nickel ore exports, a move that shook the global market as this Southeast Asian country is the world’s largest nickel producer.

In response, the EU filed a lawsuit against Indonesia to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over this ban, accused of violating international trade rules and causing losses to stainlesssteel makers in the EU.

Also on January 10, the Indonesian Government said it will loosen the ban on coal exports, which was instituted at the start of this month and expected to last for one month.

Explaining the decision, Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said the domestic stockpiles have increased.

The world’s biggest coal exporter imposed a ban on coal exports on January 1 with a view to ensuring domestic supply after the state-owned power utility PLN had announced that the fuel stockpiles at power plants in Indonesia were critically low.

Later, the Philippines called on Indonesia to lift the prohibition, saying that this policy may harm the economies dependent on coal to produce electricity./.