Govt may allow export of zirconium ores

The ministry of energy and mineral resources is revising the government?s regulation on the restriction on exports of unprocessed minerals in response to the protests from the association of zirconium miners.

The ministry?s director general for coal and mineral, Thamrin Sihite, said in Jakarta on Friday that his office was still revising the regulation, which among others allows only exports of zirconium with content of above 99 percent beginning 2014.

The revision would enable zirconium miners to export zirconium with content lower than 99 percent.

The association has earlier protested the government?s policy to only allow exports of zirconium with 99 percent content, which only contributes 10 percent of the total zirconium market. It asked the government to revise the regulation so that zirconium silicate with 66 percent content, which contributes up to 80 percent of the market, could be also exported. (*)