Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, wants export arrangements. He saw that there were many rare earth products, especially rare earth minerals, which were exported in an unclear manner. Rare earth so far, it has become a potential ‘treasure’ of Indonesia.
“Because there are many rare earth which is exported unclearly. And yesterday one person was arrested, what was found in what, but what was reported was different, “said Luhut at the Launching of Corruption Prevention Action for National Strategy PK 2021-2022, Tuesday (13/4/2021).
Currently the violators have been processed at Customs. The mode is by providing false reports, different from what is obtained. Luhut wants many parties to be involved in preventing corruption.
“Currently, Mr. Askolani (Director General of Customs and Excise) and Customs have been processed. We want many people to take care of this so they can work quickly,” he explained.
Previously, the export of rare earths had indeed been widely discussed. After the Chinese government imposed sanctions on a company from the United States, Lockheed Martin.
China’s attack on Lockheed is thought to threaten the US strategic weapons industry, especially the supply of rare earth metals. Between 2004 and 2017, China exported about 80% of rare earths to the US. There are few alternatives because China has 37% of global rare earth supplies and has adequate production facilities.
The Lockheed company makes sophisticated missiles that use rare earths in their guidance systems and sensors. This mineral is important for various purposes for both civilian and military purposes such as chips and weapons. This disruption brought blessings to Indonesia, which has a large supply of rare earths.
PT Timah has associated minerals in the form of monazite, zircon, ilmenite and rutile. In the minerals following monazite, if it is broken down again, there will be radioactive minerals, namely thorium and rare earth metals.
The company is still revalidating reserves of monazite and minerals which are used as materials for processing this rare earth.
Currently China still dominates the rare earth market. China’s monopoly in the production of rare earths not only gives it a strategic advantage over countries that depend heavily on the commodity, such as the US which imports 80% of its rare earths from China.
(Hi Hi)
– .
