Indonesia's aluminum exports in March reached a 28-month high and saw rare exports to the United States.
May 6, 2026
On Tuesday, May 5th, the Indonesian Statistics Bureau and the trade data aggregation platform Trade Data Monitor reported that Indonesia's aluminum exports in March more than doubled compared to the previous month, reaching the highest level since November 2023. This included a batch of rare shipments destined for the United States. The total unprocessed aluminum exports from this Southeast Asian country in March amounted to 88,554 tons, higher than the 33,490 tons in February. Amid the severe shortage in the aluminum market due to the war in the Middle East, Indonesia is expected to significantly increase its production this year. The first export of aluminum products from the Hamakhar Island Wedia Bay in Indonesia was achieved. A local smelting plant jointly owned by China's Tsingshan Holding Group and Xinfa Group recently began production. According to data released by the Indonesian Statistics Bureau on Monday, Wedia Bay dispatched three shipments: 18,500 tons to the United States (the United States typically heavily relies on imports from the Gulf region), 10,000 tons to China, and 8,000 tons to South Korea. Indonesia also exported 6,000 tons of aluminum to Italy in March. According to the latest data from the European Union (which does not include imports from Greece), the EU imported 1,860 tons of aluminum from Indonesia in February.
