Daily Price Update — August 18, 2026
Indonesian nickel ore CIF average prices strengthened across all three grades:
1.4% Ni: CIF average price rose from $52.6/wmt to $53.3/wmt, up $0.7/wmt.
1.5% Ni: CIF average price rose from $60.0/wmt to $60.8/wmt, up $0.8/wmt.
1.6% Ni: CIF average price rose from $64.9/wmt to $65.8/wmt, up $0.9/wmt, the largest increase among the three grades.
Premium: Market players verified that the premium remained stable compared with the first half of August, with no significant change in the prevailing premium level.
Overall: CIF average prices increased by $0.7–0.9/wmt, indicating a moderate firming in Indonesian nickel ore prices, while premium levels remained steady.
Indonesia Policy Update
Indonesia’s planned Mineral and Strategic Commodities Exchange remains the key recent policy development relevant to the nickel market. The exchange is expected to cover nickel, coal and palm oil, with operations targeted for January 1, 2027, aiming to establish domestic reference prices for strategic commodities.
Nickel impact: The exchange could strengthen Indonesia’s influence over nickel price formation and domestic benchmarks, potentially increasing the role of Indonesian reference prices in international nickel trade.
Latest development: State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said on August 17 that preparations for the exchange are underway. The platform is tentatively referred to as Icomex.
