Indonesia’s processed nickel exports reach US$25.6 billion through August
The government is targeting at least US$45 billion in processed nickel exports for the full year of 2026.
Indonesia recorded about US$25.6 billion in exports of downstream nickel products through August 2026, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The government’s full-year target is at least US$45 billion.
Yan Abrar, coordinator for mineral and coal cooperation and investment at the ministry’s Directorate General of Mineral and Coal, linked the increase to domestic processing policies. In remarks cited on 29 October 2026, he told the Indonesia-Korea Energy Forum in Denpasar, Bali, that exports had risen from about US$3.3 billion in 2017 to about US$40 billion in 2025.
Abrar said Indonesia wanted to select downstream projects based on commercial viability, technological suitability, environmental responsibility and actual industrial demand. The country has prohibited exports of unprocessed mineral ores since 2020.
He also said Indonesia’s first Class 1 nickel brand had received recognition from the London Metal Exchange. According to Abrar, that demonstrated the ability of domestically refined products to meet internationally recognised market standards.
The government’s broader aim, he said, was to build an integrated, competitive industrial ecosystem rather than simply export more mineral products. That would encompass mining, processing, advanced materials, battery manufacturing, recycling, research and workforce development.
