According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), throughout 2021 Indonesia has exported 2.23 million tons of copper ore with a total value of US$5.39 billion.
The export volume increased by 123% from the previous year, while setting a record high in the last decade as shown in the chart. In 2021, Japan will become the main destination for Indonesia's copper ore exports, with an export value of US$1.54 billion. If accumulated, over the last five years the total national export value of copper ore has reached US$ 16.7 billion.
This figure contributes significantly to the total export value of the mining sector. Meanwhile, in 2021 President Joko Widodo had revealed a plan to ban the export of copper ore. To support this plan, in 2021 PT Freeport Indonesia will start building a smelter or processing facility in Gresik, East Java. The new smelter is projected to be able to process up to 1.7 million tons of copper concentrate per year.
