After a surge in sales in June and early July, Indonesian smelters now expect delays in obtaining licences as a new export regulation comes into effect at the end of this week. Tin exports in June were provisionally reported at 8,337 tonnes, well above expectations, but ICDX sales in July to date are only 4,220 tonnes and there have been no fresh sales since 15 July. Some of the key points reported by Reuters and Bloomberg in the last few days have been as follows.
“Many of the smelters don’t have the new licence yet. There have been delays in the new regulation from the government,” Jabin Sufianto, president of the Indonesian Association of Tin Exporters (AETI) told Reuters. “If you can’t export the tin ingot, your cash flow will be affected. So I believe the production will be lower, and as an impact, the price will increase. But I don’t think it’s going to be a huge problem because the government will help us getting our licences.”
Shippers must get an export recommendation from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to apply for an export permit from the Trade Ministry, according to a decree signed by Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel in May. The ministry hasn’t received applications for export permits from smelters, Didi Sumedi, the director of mining exports, told Bloomberg on Wednesday. The new regulation also requires exporters to obtain a certificate showing the raw ore originated from clean-and-clear mines, or those operating with the correct licenses and paying royalties regularly.
PT Timah, Indonesia’s biggest tin producer, will apply for an export recommendation and permit as soon as the process is clear, Corporate Secretary Agung Nugroho told Bloomberg. Timah has clean- and-clear certificates for 40 mining concessions, he said by phone on Thursday. “We heard companies can apply in early August,” Nugroho said, adding that the energy ministry was still drafting the guidelines. “We’re ready, hopefully we can get the permit soon.”
According to Reuters Coal and Minerals Director General Bambang Gatot told reporters this week that the mines ministry was processing the registration of tin exporters “one by one”, but said he was unable to say how many had been completed.
