Indonesia will require ferronickel (FeNi) exports to be routed through PT Danantara Sumberdaya Indonesia (DSI) as part of a broader rollout of a single-window export system for strategic commodities, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said on Friday.
Airlangga confirmed that ferronickel has been included among ferro-alloy products subject to the new export mechanism.
“Now it is back to ferro alloys, ferronickel,” Airlangga told reporters at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta.
The policy will be implemented in stages starting June 1, 2026, with full enforcement scheduled for September 1, 2026.
Airlangga said the transition is designed to be gradual and structured to allow exporters time to adjust.
“There is no delay. We start on June 1. There are stages: the first three months, then the next three months, then January,” he said.
During the transition period from June 1 to August 31, exporters will still be able to use existing export arrangements, but reporting obligations will shift toward PT DSI as part of the new system.
From September 1, all exports of designated commodities will be required to pass through PT DSI under the full implementation of the policy.
Airlangga stressed that existing commercial contracts will remain valid under the new system.
“Yes, all contracts are respected. But the reporting process must be carried out. Previously there was no unified reporting process,” he said.
He added that the government will evaluate implementation every three months during the transition phase.
The single-window export system is being developed under PT DSI, which is part of a broader state-linked restructuring of export management for key commodities.
The system currently applies to selected products including coal, crude palm oil, and ferro-alloys, with expansion planned for additional mineral commodities.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia previously said all mineral commodities, including processed nickel products, would eventually be integrated into the PT DSI export framework.
“At the beginning, it is coal and some iron products. This is the transition phase, while we adjust to other minerals,” he said.
According to Trade Ministry materials, ferronickel is included under HS code 72.02.60.00 and will require surveyor reports and supporting customs documentation during export.
Covered products include ferronickel in lump, ingot, nugget, and sponge forms with varying nickel content thresholds.
Under the draft regulation, exports of ferro-alloys will be handled exclusively by a state-owned export entity, with PT DSI serving as the operational exporter during the transition period.
Between June and August 2026, exporters will continue using existing export permits, while all transactions must be reported through PT DSI.
In customs declarations, exporters will be listed as goods owners, while PT DSI will be recorded as the exporter.
The government has instructed PT DSI to prepare full administrative readiness ahead of the September 1 implementation deadline.
The regulation also covers a broader range of ferro-alloy products, including ferromanganese, ferrosilicon, ferrochrome, ferromolybdenum, ferrotungsten, and ferrotitanium. Some categories, such as ferroniobium, remain outside the strictest controls.
Ferronickel is a processed nickel-iron alloy produced through pyrometallurgical smelting using rotary kiln electric furnace (RKEF) technology and is widely used in stainless steel production. It typically contains between 20 percent and 40 percent nickel.
Indonesia is a major producer of ferronickel, supported by expanding smelting capacity across the country.
According to government data, production reached 579,430 tons last year, with a target of 540,400 tons this year. Installed RKEF capacity stands at around 2.3 million tons of nickel per year.
The government says the policy is aimed at strengthening oversight of mineral exports and improving coordination in commodity reporting and trade management under a unified system.
