Indonesia to Halt Tin Exports, Advanced Manufacturing Industries Must Be Developed

Jakarta – The Indonesian government plans to halt tin exports as a strategic policy measure to ensure optimal utilisation of tin within the country and drive the development of domestic electronics and semiconductor industries.

Deputy Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung stated that the policy is a strategic step by the government to guarantee efficient use of tin domestically. The primary reason for halting tin exports is to support the development of capital goods industries, particularly the solar panel sector which has begun to grow within Indonesia.

“For tin, we are first promoting capital goods industries, especially solar panel production within the country. There are already several solar panel manufacturers operating domestically, and these will utilise tin as one of the supporting factors in their production,” Tanjung explained during a meeting at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry on Monday (2 March 2026).

Beyond the renewable energy sector, tin is considered crucial for developing the electronics and semiconductor industries, which are now national priorities. Furthermore, semiconductor development is listed in the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) as one of the strategic sectors to be developed. Consequently, domestic raw material supply must be secured.

Additionally, the tin extraction process yields several byproduct minerals that have not been utilised optimally to date. These byproducts include potential rare earth metals and other critical minerals with high strategic value for the technology industry.

“In the context of mining sector reorganisation, we expect that rare earth metals found in tin extraction, as well as critical minerals, can be utilised for developing domestic industries,” Tanjung said.