Manila, Feb. 19 -- The Philippine Government is considering a ban on raw nickel ore exports to boost its domestic processing industry.
Philippine Senate President Francis Escudero recently stated that the Philippines' Congress could ratify a bill banning raw mineral exports as soon as June. If enacted, the ban is expected to take effect in five years to give miners the time to establish processing facilities within the country.
The Philippines' possible nickel ore export ban is "a cause for concern" for Indonesia's smelter industry, experts have said.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data shows that Indonesia imported over 10.47 million tonnes of nickel ore last year, which skyrocketed from just 374,468 tonnes in the previous year. Some 97% of...