Indonesia to ban all mineral concentrate exports from 2017

JAKARTA, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Indonesia will ban all exports of mineral concentrate from 2017, providing a few years for mining firms to build sufficient domestic smelting and refining capacity to continue operating in the Southeast Asian nation, a mining official said on Monday.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed last-minute regulations on Saturday to ease a mineral export ban for certain minerals, allowing exports of copper, iron ore, lead and zinc concentrate to continue.

Copper concentrate with a minimum of 15 percent content will be allowed to be exported despite the ban, said Sukhyar, director general of coal and minerals at the mining ministry.

(Reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Writing by Randy Fabi)

((Randolph.Fabi@thomsonreuters.com)(+62 21 3199 7170)(Reuters Messaging: randolph.fabi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: INDONESIA MINERALS/COPPER