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Indonesian miner Amman requests for copper export restriction hold-up

Indonesian copper miner PT Amman Mineral Internasional remains in settlements with the federal government to permit it to continue exporting copper concentrate beyond May 31, its chief executive said on Wednesday, while predicting a surge in output this year.

Indonesia will impose an export ban on copper concentrate from June, a policy meant to force miners to buy smelting facilities in your home. The government wants miners to sell items with greater worths to increase export earnings.

Amman's appeal for relaxation of the export restriction follows similar request by copper miner Freeport Indonesia.

We are optimistic government will offer us with export constraint relaxation because it serves nobody to restrict our exports, because the government likewise relies on both Freeport and us for tax earnings, Amman Chief Executive Alexander Ramlie told a conference went to by media and financiers.

Freeport Indonesia, managed by mining huge Freeport McMoran, has argued its smelter will not be ready to process all of its output by May, alerting the company might have to cut production if the federal government declines to provide leniency.

Amman's smelter building and construction will be 90% completed by May, completed later in the 2nd quarter and it will reach complete production capacity in the first quarter of 2025, said director Naveen Chandralal.

Nevertheless, the firm is broadening its storage center so it can continue to mine even if the export embargo remains, Ramlie said.

The business is targeting production of 833,000 dry metric lots (dmt) of copper concentrate in 2024, a 54% increase from in 2015, supported by high-grade ore from Phase 7 at its Batu Hijau mine.

Amman executives said they might not give a sales target due to unpredictability concerning Indonesia's export policy.

Its production and sales results in 2023 were struck by high rainfall at the start of the year, resulting in a 32% drop in both figures. The business produced 541,893 dmt of copper concentrate last year and sold 548,313 dmt.

Indonesia's copper export ban was initially set to enter into force in June 2023, however the government enabled Freeport and Amman more time to comply to assist them fund smelter building and construction.