Video: Copying China, This Is Indonesia's Key to Unlocking Rare Earth Potential

Chairman of the Indonesia Mining Institute, Irwandy Arif, has emphasised the importance of managing critical and strategic minerals, including rare earth elements and nickel, to strengthen the nation’s mineral ecosystem. Regarding rare earth management, Indonesia can look to China, which is the largest producer with 50% of the world’s reserves and dominates the supply and processing chain. Australia also serves as a benchmark for having the best production efficiency outside China, alongside the United States, which is the world’s second-largest producer. Indonesia itself possesses substantial resources, amounting to 136.2 million tonnes in ore form and 118,000 tonnes in metal form, but the reserves ready for mining are still very small. Therefore, exploration and downstream processing must be developed, along with the establishment of two dedicated bodies: the Mineral Industry Board (BIM) and the National Mineral Company (Perminas), to enable Indonesia to develop its rare earth potential.