Indonesia’s Mineral and Coal Exports Rise, Nickel Exports Hit IDR 467.55 Trillion
Mon 19 Oct 2026, 08:48 AM
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The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) recorded an increase in the export value of mineral and coal commodities during the January - August 2026 period.
The ministry claimed that the increase in export value indicated a positive trend and tangible evidence of the success of downstream processing.
"Supply controls help maintain a balance between commodity volumes and prices. As a result, although export volumes declined, higher prices were able to sustain growth in export value" the ministry wrote on the official Instagram account of the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal @ditjenminerba, as quoted on Sunday (18/10/2026).
The ministry also said that through downstream processing, Indonesia continues to promote the optimal utilization of mineral and coal resources, strengthen the competitiveness of national products, and increase economic value for the nation.
"Downstream processing is not merely about processing resources, but also about creating added value for Indonesia" it said.
In detail, the export value of nickel and its derivative products reached USD 25.9 billion, equivalent to IDR 467.55 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of IDR 18,052 per US dollar), throughout January - August 2026. This figure increased by 17.2% compared with the same period the previous year (year-on-year/yoy).
However, export volumes of these commodities fell by 3.8% to 1,571 kilotons during January - August 2026. Nickel commodity exports included nickel pig iron (NPI), ferronickel (FeNi), stainless steel, nickel matte, mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), nickel sulphate, and nickel metal.
Meanwhile, coal export value rose by 7.8% to USD 20.8 billion, equivalent to IDR 375.49 trillion, throughout January - August 2026. However, export volumes of the black gold commodity fell by 7% to 307,051 kilotons. Coal exports comprised sub-bituminous, lignite, bituminous, and anthracite.
Next, bauxite export value increased by 43.5% to USD 3.8 billion, equivalent to IDR 68.5 trillion, throughout January - August 2026. Similarly, export volumes of the mineral commodity also rose by 25.5% to 4,680 kilotons. Bauxite exports comprised alumina (HS 2818) and aluminium (HS 7601).
Meanwhile, copper (cathode) export value reached USD 2.2 billion, equivalent to IDR 39.7 trillion, throughout January - August 2026. This figure rose by 47.2% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, copper export volumes increased by 3.5% to 164 kilotons. Exports of copper cathodes and other processed copper products now account for 70% of total copper. This figure represents an increase of 130% from the previous year.
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