By September 2016 the Indonesian government plans to have revised regulations regarding exports of mineral ore, part of Law No. 4/2009 on Mineral and Coal Mining (New Mining Law). Per January 2014 mineral ore exports from Indonesia should have been banned altogether as the government aims to boost domestic smelter development and reduce the country's dependence on raw material exports. However, a last-minute regulation, signed in January 2014, softened this ban and allowed exports of copper, manganese, zinc, lead, and iron ore concentrates until 2017. Now the government may decide for a two-year delay up to 2019.

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The Indonesian government seems to abandon or delay its policy of banning mineral ore exports from 2017 onward. In January 2014 the ban on exports of raw minerals, part of the 2009 Mining Law, came into effect. However, due to the lack of domestic processing facilities the government allowed the resumption of certain concentrate exports (such as copper concentrate) provided the miner would be committed to the construction of smelting facilities, and pay higher taxes and royalties. The export ban was highly controversial as it conflicted with existing contracts and therefore caused outrage in Indonesia's mining industry.

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Again there has emerged speculation that Indonesia may not fully implement its ban on exports of concentrates (partially processed metals) in 2017. This controversial ban, part of the country's 2009 Mining Law, aims to boost domestic processing facilities and reduce the country's dependence on raw commodity exports. The ban was originally implemented in January 2014. However, as there was insufficient domestic smelting capacity full implementation would imply a huge revenue loss. Therefore, concentrate exports were allowed to resume (until 2017) provided exporters pay higher taxes, royalties and provide evidence that they are committed to develop smelters.

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Indonesian miners may be allowed to resume bauxite exports after a government official signalled that the Indonesian government is looking at relaxing its (raw) mineral export ban. This ban, implemented in January 2014, was introduced in an effort to boost domestic processing capacity, generate more revenue (by adding value to its mineral products) and enhance employment opportunities in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. However, amid the lack of domestic smelting capacity, the export ban has led to a plunge of exports.

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According to the Association of Indonesian Processing and Refining Companies (AP3I), consumption of mineral ores in Indonesia will be solid starting from 2017 due to the start of operations of new smelters. Jonathan Handojo, Vice Chairman of the AP3I, says domestic consumption of nickel ore will reach 7 million tons in 2017, roughly the same amount of nickel ore that was exported in 2009 before the New Mining Law - which stipulates a ban on exports of mineral ore from Indonesia (per January 2014) - was revealed.

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The global nickel price declined 5.1 percent on Tuesday (09/09) after it became known that the Philippines would not implement a ban on exports of this commodity yet. Similar to Indonesia, the Philippines was preparing to implement a ban on exports of unprocessed minerals in an attempt to boost revenues (by exporting mining products with added value). However, it may take seven years before such a policy is implemented. This implies that the occurrence of a possible shortage of nickel on the global market in the coming years has diminished.

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