Jokowi Will Stop Bauxite and Copper Exports in 2023

President of Republic Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that this year he would ban the export of bauxite and copper. Previously, Jokowi had announced that he would ban bauxite exports at the end of December 2022. Jokowi then added a ban on copper exports in his remarks at the Commemoration of PDIP Anniversary (10/01/2023).

“Although we are afraid that the nickel problem will lose at the WTO (World Trade Organization). We will continue to do so. In fact, we will stop bauxite export. Then in the middle of the year we will add copper to stop too,” said Jokowi.

According to finance.detik.com,  Jokowi has banned exports for nickel commodities since January 2020. This move has received worldwide scrutiny. One of them is the lawsuit from the European Union (EU) at the WTO.

Even though he has stated to ban the export of bauxite, the ban on this commodity will start to be effective from June 2023. In addition, there is also tin commodity which Jokowi often mentions to be banned from export. However, the ban for this commodity has not yet been confirmed.

“Everything must be integrated so that later this will become an ecosystem for electric vehicles because all countries need it. The first step is to enter the electric battery,” he concluded.

An example is the bauxite commodity. The export of raw materials for this commodity provides a profit of IDR 20 trillion. However, if the raw materials are processed domestically, the profits can reach IDR 70 trillion. It is this multifold advantage that has made Jokowi support the downstream program.

“We are industrializing (bauxite) in the country. Our estimate is that from 20 trillion rupiah it will be more or less 60-70 trillion rupiah,” said Jokowi.