[SMM Nickel Flash] Indonesia's Presidential Staff Office Steps In as Rare-Earth Rule Gap Delays Alumina & Nickel Exports

Published: Jul 28, 2026 11:12

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Indonesia's Presidential Staff Office convened a coordination meeting in Jakarta on July 27 with government agencies, law enforcement and industry to resolve shipment bottlenecks caused by the absence of rules on how much rare-earth content is permissible in mineral exports. Industry sources say alumina and nickel products, chiefly nickel pig iron, have been delayed. Indonesia is a major minerals exporter but only a minor by-product producer of rare earths, and no threshold has been set for their proportion in shipments of other minerals, leaving customs treatment unclear. Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman said he had received reports from several companies about export disruptions. Constrained shipments tighten near-term availability and reinforce seller reluctance in NPI.

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