Nickel industry urges Senate to rethink raw mineral export ban

The Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) is urging the Senate to reconsider a proposed five-year ban on raw mineral exports, arguing it will disproportionately harm small-scale miners and damage the Philippines' standing in global value chains.

The Senate passed the measure on third and final reading to foster the local processing industry, modeled after Indonesia's successful ban on nickel and bauxite exports.

PNIA President Dante Bravo stated that the ban is ill-timed and could deter investments and hinder the development of the value-added processing (VAP) industry, noting that implementation now fails to account for significant regulatory and business hurdles.

Bravo further explained that a five-year export ban would discourage exploration investments and the protracted process of obtaining mining permits, which can take as long as a decade, acts as a deterrent to new industry participants.

PNIA Board Member and Nickel Asia Corp. CEO Martin Antonio G. Zamora added that the Philippines needs to address fundamental issues that hinder its value-adding goals before considering any export ban.