Indonesia’s rare earth push faces low-content, costly extraction hurdles
In July, more than 100 shipments were delayed at Indonesian ports due to a mandatory testing program screening mineral shipment for rare earth content, despite the lack of clear government guidelines on acceptable levels.
Indonesia is striving to establish a domestic rare earth industry, but faces significant challenges in extraction. In July, over 100 shipments at Indonesian ports were delayed due to a mandatory program testing mineral shipments for rare earth content, despite unclear government guidelines on acceptable levels. The government aims to keep processing rare earth minerals onshore, but experts warn that low concentrations of rare earth elements and technical difficulties in extraction could hinder economic viability.
Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman revealed that export of rare earth elements as primary products is prohibited, but not for elements found as accompanying elements or byproducts in mining products. The government is now mapping associated mineral content in various downstream products to ensure investment continuity and prepare a targeted regulatory framework for rare earths.
Perhapi chairman Sudirman Widhy Hartono stated that government teams have been collecting samples from nickel mining and smelting companies to measure residual rare earth content.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
