Abstract
In 2025, global mined nickel (Ni) production was 3.9 million tonnes (Mt), with Indonesia producing 2.6 Mt, or 67%; by contrast, Canada, once the leading Ni producing country in the world, now produces 4% of global Ni with 0.14 Mt of mined Ni produced in 2025. Canada is now the fourth Ni mine producer in the world after Indonesia, Philippines and Russia. Recognizing a persistent global Ni surplus of mined Ni after recent production surges in the country, Indonesia began issuing ore production quotas expressed as wet tonnes of mined ore in the country. For 2026, it was announced this would be between 260 and 270 million wet tonnes of mined ore, approximating 2 to 2.2 Mt of contained Ni. The production of 2.6 Mt of Ni in 2025 required over 310 million wet tonnes of ore, part of this representing imported ore. Indonesia continues to monitor the quotas; however, Ni ore is still imported into Indonesia. This paper briefly discusses the Indonesian Ni industry and in particular sets out recent Government guidelines and regulations affecting industry quotas.