Indonesia's Internal Affairs seeks to resume copper exports before Amman plant launch

Indonesia's Internal Affairs Minister, Tito Karnavian, is seeking to ease a copper concentrate export ban for Amman Mineral International, stressing its positive impact on the national economy. The export of most raw commodities has been suspended in the country since mid-2023 to boost domestic metal processing, Reuters reports.

The minister’s position is supported by recent economic data from West Nusa Tenggara province, where Amman operates. The local economy shrank by 1.47% year-on-year in the first quarter due to declining copper concentrate exports. The company already held 200,000 tons of metal inventory by February, the news agency notes.

Karnavian suggests allowing raw material exports to resume before Amman’s processing facilities become fully operational. Although the company’s new smelter produced its first copper cathode in March, it has yet to reach full capacity of 220,000 tons due to unresolved technical issues, according to the company’s representatives.