Prabowo Invites Australia to Invest in Nickel-to-Gold Downstreaming
Fri 06 Feb 2026, 03:05 AM
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President Prabowo Subianto has invited Australia to invest in critical mineral projects in Indonesia. These projects include the downstreaming of nickel, bauxite, and gold.
The invitation was extended by Prabowo while hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday (Feb 6, 2026).
Albanese's visit to Indonesia this time marks his fifth visit as the Prime Minister of Australia.
Previously, both countries have engaged in intensive talks to strengthen investment and trade cooperation related to critical mineral projects.
“I invite Australia to invest in Indonesia’s critical mineral downstreaming sector, including the processing of nickel, copper, bauxite, and gold,” Prabowo said.
Furthermore, Prabowo added that the government is also encouraging national companies to invest in Australia’s critical mineral mining sector.
Prabowo added that BPI Danantara is relatively prepared to partner with Australian companies in the critical minerals sector in the future.
“Danantara is ready to work with its partners in Australia to explore co-investment opportunities and various other forms of partnership,” he said.
Lately, the government has been exploring cooperation to purchase lithium concentrate from Australia to strengthen raw material supplies for the domestic electric vehicle (EV) battery ecosystem.
Currently, Indonesia's lithium imports from Australia reach approximately 80,000 tons per year. The plan for more intensive trade and investment cooperation between the two is expected to further drive up the value of these lithium imports.
Imports from Australia have historically been used to supply the industrial area in Morowali as raw material for electric vehicle batteries.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that the government would open opportunities for additional negotiations to expand cooperation in the critical minerals sector through a trade pact or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Australia.
“Later, critical minerals will certainly [be included in the agreement]. We are talking about the EV ecosystem. Earlier, President [Prabowo Subianto] also spoke about the EV ecosystem,” Airlangga said at the State Palace on Thursday (May 15, 2025).
“Our current target is the CEPA [with Australia]. We are including critical minerals within it.”
However, Airlangga did not comment on the possibility of the value and volume of lithium imports from Australia increasing in the future.
“We will see, it depends on the factory capacity. Some are expanding. So, specifically for batteries, we have lithium-based and [nickel]-based options."
Airlangga added that Indonesia aims for a 100% increase in trade volume with Australia through the CEPA.
According to the latest release from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), Indonesia still recorded a trade deficit with Australia reaching US$5.65 billion throughout 2025.
Several commodities contributing to that deficit include cereals, mineral fuels, metal ores, slag, and ash.
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