Sekatan eksport REE boleh bantu Malaysia naik rantaian nilai, kata pakar

Malaysia can boost its value-added industry by limiting raw REE exports, according to experts. However, local processing capacity and high-value product manufacturing need development, says Idzat Idris from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Restricting raw exports could encourage more processing and domestic production, leading to valuable products such as high-performance magnets and advanced alloys.

These products can benefit industries like electric vehicles, high-performance motors, wind turbines, electronics, robotics, aerospace, defense, and medical equipment. However, uncontrolled export restrictions can lead to stockpiling, falling prices, illegal export, or dependence on foreign technology providers. The Malaysian government has imposed a temporary moratorium on raw REE exports, starting January 1, 2024, to encourage the development of secondary processing and recycling industries.

Economists Norlida Hanim Salleh and Chang Lih Kang emphasize the importance of collaboration between government, researchers, and industry to develop local REE technology and commercialize research findings. While Malaysia was once the world's largest producer and exporter of tin, the country no longer has the capacity to independently develop the entire REE value chain and needs foreign investment and advanced skills.