Government targets higher nickel exports while expanding downstream industries across multiple resource sectors.
Indonesia is setting higher targets for its resource-processing strategy, with nickel positioned as a leading example of the government’s push to move away from raw-material exports.
Nickel Export Target Reaches US$45 Billion
Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said Indonesia is targeting at least US$45 billion in nickel-sector exports in 2026, equivalent to Rp805.5 trillion using the exchange rate cited by detikFinance. He announced the target while opening Trade Expo Indonesia 2026 at ICE BSD in Tangerang on October 14.
Export Value Has Risen Sharply
Bahlil said Indonesia’s nickel export value stood at about US$3.3 billion in 2017 and 2018, before the country strengthened domestic industrialization and stopped exporting raw nickel ore. The figure reached US$34 billion in 2023 and surpassed US$40 billion in 2025, according to the minister.
Government Targets US$618 Billion by 2040
Separately, Indonesia has outlined a longer-term downstreaming strategy extending to 2040, covering minerals and coal, oil and gas, forestry, fisheries, and agriculture. The strategy aims to expand domestic processing and higher-value production across these sectors.
Bahlil Links Strategy to Economic Independence
According to Bahlil, downstreaming should be viewed not only as a way to increase economic growth but also as part of Indonesia’s effort to strengthen national economic independence. He acknowledged that countries accustomed to obtaining Indonesian raw materials had objected to parts of the policy, including measures that led to disputes at the World Trade Organization.
Green Industry Becomes Investment Focus
Bahlil also encouraged foreign delegates attending Trade Expo Indonesia to invest domestically, saying Indonesia intends to support renewable energy and industries responding to global demand for greener products. He cited the government’s push toward biofuels and said green-energy-based production could strengthen the competitiveness and value of Indonesian exports.
For Indonesians, the government’s latest targets show nickel remaining central to a wider effort to build domestic processing industries and increase the value generated from natural resources. For Singaporean businesses and investors following Indonesia’s industrial development, the 2040 downstreaming plan also signals continued opportunities across minerals, energy, agriculture, fisheries, and other processing sectors.
Sources: Batampos (2026) , Detik Finance (2026)
Keywords: Indonesia Nickel Exports, Bahlil Lahadalia, Nickel Downstreaming, Indonesia Hilirisasi 2040, Trade Expo Indonesia, Nickel Industry
