CNA – Indonesian authorities are preparing data and assessing current industry conditions in preparation for a potential ban on tin exports, a senior mining ministry official told an industry conference yesterday.
Ridwan Djamaludin said authorities were trying to measure how much time Indonesia needed to develop industries that could absorb its tin ingot production, in case the government decided to stop exports.
“When the policy is issued, we should not be surprised,” he told conference participants and asked them to consolidate and prepare to potentially invest in downstream industry.
President Joko Widodo has included tin among the metals he wants to stop exporting to encourage investment in developing downstream industries.
Indonesia only consumes five per cent of its tin metal production and would require industries that were capable of processing the metal further if producers are not allowed to export.
Indonesia, a major exporter of tin, has been exporting ingots with over 90 per cent purity.
