🇵🇭🇮🇩 Nickel flows shift to Indonesia

Philippine nickel ore exports to Indonesia rose 82% year on year in the first seven months of 2026 after Jakarta cut output quotas, tightening supply from the world’s largest producer. Nikkei Asia reported that the surge is redirecting more ore from the Philippines into Indonesian processing chains.

The shift comes as Manila seeks to build a domestic nickel processing industry instead of remaining primarily an ore exporter. The issue is strategically important because nickel is a core input for stainless steel and EV batteries, but industry participants warn the Philippines faces significant challenges in developing downstream capacity.

Higher ore shipments to Indonesia may support its established smelting sector while complicating Philippine efforts to retain more value onshore.

#Philippines #Indonesia

@asianomics