JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—Indonesia recorded higher export earnings from major mineral and coal products during the first eight months of 2026, government data showed. Prices and changes in the product mix contributed to the increases alongside domestic processing.

Data published by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s Directorate General of Mineral and Coal covered exports from January through August 2026. It compared those figures with the corresponding period in 2025.

Nickel-related exports generated US$25.9 billion, a 17.2 percent year-on-year increase. Export volume, however, declined by 3.8 percent to 1.571 million tonnes.

The category included nickel pig iron and ferronickel, stainless steel, nickel matte, mixed hydroxide precipitate, nickel sulphate and nickel metal. The ministry calculated that the average export value per unit of volume increased by 21.9 percent.

The figures suggest that Indonesia earned more from each tonne shipped. However, the increase could reflect higher international prices and a shift toward more valuable products. In addition, the effects of domestic downstream processing played a role.

Coal exports reached $20.8 billion, representing annual growth of 7.8 percent. Even as shipment volume fell by 7 percent to 307.05 million tonnes, the government said export value per unit rose by 15.9 percent.

The coal category covered sub-bituminous coal, lignite, bituminous coal and anthracite. Unlike processed nickel, alumina or copper cathodes, most coal exports remain primary commodities. The increase primarily demonstrates the effect of higher unit prices and supply management rather than mineral downstreaming alone.

Bauxite-derived products recorded some of the strongest growth. Exports of alumina and unwrought aluminum reached $3.8 billion, up 43.5 percent. Volume increased by 25.5 percent to 4.68 million tonnes.

These are products made from refining the bauxite, not shipments of raw bauxite ore. Indonesia imposed its bauxite export ban in June 2023 to encourage investment in domestic refineries.

Copper cathode exports, meanwhile, rose by 47.2 percent to $2.2 billion. Shipment volume increased by a more modest 3.5 percent to 164,000 tonnes. This indicates that prices and the composition of exported products also supported the rise in earnings.

The four commodity groups formed a sizeable part of Indonesia’s trade performance. Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported that the country’s total exports reached $193.64 billion in January–August 2026. This was up 4.74 percent from the same period a year earlier. Non-oil and gas exports increased by 5.48 percent to $185.63 billion.

Investment has also continued to flow into domestic processing. The Investment and Downstreaming Ministry recorded Rp300.1 trillion in downstream investment during the first half of 2026. This was equivalent to 29.7 percent of the total investment. Mineral projects accounted for Rp206.5 trillion of that amount.

The export figures support the government’s argument. They show that processing minerals domestically can change the composition of Indonesia’s trade. Still, sustained economic benefits will depend on stable demand, efficient production and how much technology and income remain within the national economy.