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View all search resultsIndonesia lifts export freeze on rare earth byproducts
Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman revealed that state-owned surveyor PT Sucofindo, which administers the testing program, would soon release 85 delayed surveyor reports after they had indicated the presence of rare earth elements.
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Indonesian Military (TNI) chief of general staff Lt. Gen. Richard Taruli H. Tampubolon (second right) holds a sack of minerals while Navy Fleet Command (Koarmada RI) Vice Adm. Denih Hendrata (second left) looks on at Naval Command (Kodaeral) IV/Batam in Batam, Riau Islands, on May 26, 2026. (Courtesy of Kodaeral IV/Batam/-)
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ndonesia has moved to resolve weeks of uncertainty at its ports by clarifying that mineral exports containing rare earth elements as byproducts will be permitted, effectively reopening shipments that had been stalled by mandatory testing requirements.
Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman at a press conference on Monday described it as “transitional guidance” for exporters, surveyors and customs authorities.
“The export of rare earth elements as primary products is indeed prohibited. However, this does not automatically apply to rare earth elements found as ‘accompanying elements or byproducts’ in primary and derivative mining products,” Dudung said, as reported by Reuters.
The announcement addresses growing confusion that had left more than 100 ships delayed at Indonesian ports. The holdup stemmed from a mandatory testing program that screened mineral shipments for rare earth content, but without clear government guidelines on acceptable levels.
Read also: Indonesia's rare earth push unlikely to shake China’s grip
Indonesia is a major global exporter of minerals, yet its rare earth production remains limited and occurs mostly as a byproduct of other mining operations.
The government had not previously specified how much rare earth material would be permitted in shipments of other minerals, creating a bottleneck for commodities including bauxite, alumina, copper cathodes and nickel derivatives.
