Joko Widodo

Widodo's government implemented a comprehensive nickel-ore export ban in January 2020 as part of its drive for processing within Indonesia. This used control over raw-material exports to influence where industrial investment took place, building on earlier restrictions. The policy also produced a trade dispute: a WTO panel found the measures inconsistent with GATT obligations in 2022, and Indonesia appealed. Domestic processing ambitions therefore need to be considered alongside legal constraints and the costs of mining and smelting, not just investment announcements.