Indonesia Prepares Strategic Commodities Exchange for 2027

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia has begun preparing measures to strengthen its bargaining position in the global commodities market. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources aims for the Strategic Minerals and Commodities Exchange to serve as a platform for setting national commodity prices.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the Exchange will give Indonesia greater flexibility in determining prices for domestically produced natural resources.

He noted that overseas trading mechanisms have long influenced Indonesian commodity prices, limiting the ability of producer countries like Indonesia to shape price formation.

Coal prices illustrate this challenge. Bahlil said coal had fallen to USD 97.65 per metric ton in the second half of July 2025 before rebounding after the government tightened supply‑and‑demand controls.

“As soon as we tightened controls and managed supply and demand, prices have now started to improve,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

The Ministry set the Reference Coal Price (HBA) for the second half of August 2026 at USD 124.06 per metric ton, higher than the reference level in July 2025.

Minister Bahlil emphasized that establishing the Strategic Minerals and Commodities Exchange is intended to strengthen Indonesia’s sovereignty in determining natural resource prices.

The policy is expected to produce prices that reflect the true economic value of national commodities. “The President wants all natural resource assets in our country to be fully regulated by our government at fair economic prices,” he said.

President Prabowo Subianto aims for the Exchange to begin operations on January 1, 2027, under the supervision of the Financial Services Authority (OJK). The government has discussed preparations for the Exchange with the OJK.

The initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen commodity‑trading governance and develop the Indonesia Reference Price for key strategic commodities that support national exports.

President Prabowo previously highlighted Indonesia’s position as one of the world’s major producers of palm oil, nickel, tin, coal, coffee, and rubber. However, prices for many of these commodities are still largely determined by foreign market mechanisms and exchanges.

Through the Strategic Minerals and Commodities Exchange, the government aims to shift Indonesia’s role from merely a producer to a country with greater influence over global commodity pricing. ***