Rumor has it that Indonesian Customs is stepping up inspections on key minerals such as rare earths, and exports of alumina and nickel pig iron are blocked

The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to reports, Indonesian Customs has carried out new inspections on radioactive materials such as rare earths and uranium, which has blocked the export of some metal products. People familiar with the matter revealed that shipments of multiple shipments have been delayed this month due to Indonesian customs requirements for additional testing of certain key minerals. These people familiar with the matter said that exports of alumina and nickel pig iron, which can be processed into aluminum, have been affected.

An Indonesian spokesperson has yet to respond to this matter. It's unclear how long this outage will last and how much of the export volume will be affected.

Judging from history, Indonesia has repeatedly promoted the development of the downstream processing industry of its mineral resources through trade policy regulation and increased added value. The country banned the export of raw materials such as nickel ore and bauxite a few years ago. Since then, the Indonesian government has turned its focus to rare earth resources. According to a regulation issued last year, priority is required to guarantee domestic use.

Indonesia formally established the Bureau of Mining and Industry in August 2025 to bring the management of rare earth resources under national supervision and no longer open it to private enterprises and the public. Rare earth elements include 17 types of metal elements. Due to their similar chemical properties, they often occur in nature. They have unique optical, electrical, and magnetic properties, and are widely used in fields such as new energy, electronics, and aerospace.

According to reports, earlier this month, the Indonesian prosecution announced the list of suspects in a case involving the illegal export of materials containing rare earths. The report said that the three persons involved in the case tampered with laboratory test reports used to apply for export licenses and deliberately concealed rare earth components in the materials.

Coal, palm oil, and nickel are Indonesia's top three export commodities. This Southeast Asian country is not a major supplier of rare earths and uranium, although these elements can be found in by-products produced when processing certain major metals. Take tin ore mining as an example. The mining process produces a large amount of monazite. This mineral can be used to extract rare earth elements.