Indonesia will review rules banning exports of partially processed metal ores, including copper and zinc, as the smelters they were intended to develop have not materialised amid low commodity prices, the country’s mining minister said Tuesday. Indonesia banned metal ore exports in early 2014 to encourage firms to build smelters to create jobs and shift exports from raw materials to higher-value finished metals. However, the ban cost the country, the world’s top nickel-ore exporter and a major supplier of bauxite for aluminium, billions of dollars in lost revenue.
