Indonesia and Chile Propose Green Minerals Partnership to Boost Critical Minerals and Battery Cooperation

Published: Oct 05, 2026 15:47 (GMT+8)

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Indonesia and Chile proposed a Green Minerals Partnership to deepen cooperation in copper, aluminium, battery materials, green mining technology and downstream processing, supported by the IC-CEPA.

Indonesia has proposed a Green Minerals Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chile to strengthen cooperation in the energy and critical minerals sectors, ANTARA reported Monday.

The proposed MoU would cover joint industrial projects, cooperation among mineral-producing countries, green mining technologies, an investment platform and an ocean-based distribution strategy, according to a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Santiago Indoesian news agency reported.

Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno presented the proposal during a bilateral meeting with Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna on the sidelines of the Indonesia-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Mission (INALAC-BM) 2026 in Santiago on October 1. Mackenna welcomed the proposal and said he would follow up on it at the earliest opportunity, ANTARA reported.

The two countries also agreed to prioritize the use of the Indonesia-Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IC-CEPA) to support cooperation in the battery and vaccine sectors.

In the mining and battery sectors, Havas encouraged cooperation to develop battery and electric vehicle ecosystems involving Chilean state-owned copper producer Corporación Nacional del Cobre (Codelco), PT Freeport Indonesia and Indonesia's state-owned aluminium producer PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (INALUM).

Codelco expressed openness to cooperating with Indonesia on research and technology, news agency said.

Havas also proposed establishing an "Indonesia-Chile Industrial Bridge" in the mining sector involving INALUM, Freeport Indonesia, Codelco and Chilean company Elecmetal. The proposed cooperation would also cover environmentally friendly management and further utilisation of mineral processing waste, including mine tailings.

The initiative could provide a framework for greater cooperation between two major mineral-producing countries, particularly in areas including copper, aluminium, battery materials, mining technology and downstream processing.

Indonesia is seeking to strengthen domestic mineral processing and downstream industries, while Chile remains a major global copper producer. Closer cooperation between companies from the two countries could support investment, technology exchange and the development of integrated mineral and battery supply chains.

The IC-CEPA was signed on December 14, 2017, and entered into force on August 10, 2019. Under the agreement, 6,704 Indonesian products across the agricultural, fishery, manufacturing, mining and industrial sectors qualify for zero-percent import tariffs in Chile.

Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Chile reached $535.51 million, up 12.40% year on year, according to Indonesia's Ministry of Trade data cited by ANTARA.

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