The Philippines has removed a provision from its mineral bill that would have banned the export of unprocessed nickel ore. Originally passed by the Senate on 3 February, the bill aimed to prohibit exports by 2030 to encourage domestic processing, following Indonesia’s policy. However, this move was met with resistance from the local industry.
The Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) welcomed the decision, describing it as a step that safeguards jobs, boosts investor confidence, and acknowledges the complexities of domestic mineral processing.
The country exported 44.97 million wet metric tonnes of nickel ore in 2024, marking a 10.1% increase compared to the previous year. China remained the largest recipient with 35.12 million wmt, despite a 12% drop in imports, while Indonesia’s imports surged to 9.55 million wmt from just 215,000 wmt in 2023. The increase in Indonesian demand was driven by a lower mining quota, whereas weaker demand in China contributed to the decline.
Nickel intermediates production in the Philippines fell by 7.8% to 414,000 tons of nickel metal equivalent in 2024, primarily from the Coral Bay and Taganito plants owned by Nickel Asia, according to the International Nickel Study Group.
