The WTO panel ruled in favor of the EU last month, saying that neither the prohibition of nickel exports nor a domestic processing requirement requiring all nickel ore to be refined in Indonesia were in line with global trade rules, prompting President Joko "Jokowi' Widodo to say that his country would appeal the ruling. 

The EU had launched its challenge at the WTO in November 2019, arguing that Indonesian export restrictions on raw materials was unfairly harming its stainless-steel industry. Indonesia banned nickel ore exports from the start of 2020.

The Indonesian government has claimed that its raw nickel export ban, which started in January 2021, has shown positive impacts after seeing increases in mining investments and exports of nickel-derived products.

The Indonesian government has long desired to add high value to domestic mining products, especially nickel, through downstreaming.

In Montreal, the United States and other western countries announced an alliance to produce and buy critical minerals from countries with stronger environmental and labor standards, a move that could reduce business with market leader China.

Announced at the COP15 talks on biodiversity, the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance would support these standards for elements like lithium, cobalt and nickel, Canada's Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said.

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