Indonesia targets US$45 billion–US$50 billion in nickel exports for 2026
Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said exports reached US$34 billion in 2023, as the government pursues more domestic processing of natural resources.
Indonesia is aiming for nickel exports worth US$45 billion to US$50 billion by 2026, minister Bahlil Lahadalia told the Bali Tech Week 2026 forum in Sanur, Bali. He linked the target to the government’s push to process more natural resources domestically.
Bahlil, the Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, said nickel exports totalled US$34 billion in 2023. He described downstreaming as a way to move the economy from exporting raw materials towards producing goods with greater added value.
The broader industrialisation roadmap covers 28 commodities across minerals, coal, oil and gas, agriculture, fisheries and marine sectors. The government estimates that implementing it will require roughly US$618 billion in cumulative investment through 2040.
Bahlil said downstreaming would help pursue the government’s economic growth target of 6 per cent to 8 per cent, with highly productive industries taking a greater role relative to consumer spending. The government expects domestic processing to support industries, generate jobs and make Indonesian products more competitive.
He also acknowledged international challenges to the policy, including disputes at the World Trade Organization. The strategy draws on Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution and aims to turn natural resource wealth into public prosperity.
