Nickel Recovers From Over One-Month Low

2026-08-21 07:40 By Erika Ordonez 1 min. read

Nickel traded around $17,000 per tonne, recovering from an over one-month low as tighter Indonesian supply expectations provided support.

Indonesia’s 2026 nickel ore quota remains at 260–270 million tonnes, well below the 379 million tonnes approved for 2025, pointing to tighter supply.

Meanwhile, the government has indicated that additional quotas may be granted selectively to smelters facing raw-material shortages, raising the prospect of increased ore availability and limiting gains.

At the same time, elevated LME and Chinese inventories continued to weigh on the market, pointing to ample refined nickel availability.

Indonesia is also preparing to launch a strategic minerals and commodities exchange in January 2027, potentially including nickel, as Jakarta seeks greater influence over domestic commodity pricing.



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Nickel Recovers From Over One-Month Low
Nickel traded around $17,000 per tonne, recovering from an over one-month low as tighter Indonesian supply expectations provided support. Indonesia’s 2026 nickel ore quota remains at 260–270 million tonnes, well below the 379 million tonnes approved for 2025, pointing to tighter supply. Meanwhile, the government has indicated that additional quotas may be granted selectively to smelters facing raw-material shortages, raising the prospect of increased ore availability and limiting gains. At the same time, elevated LME and Chinese inventories continued to weigh on the market, pointing to ample refined nickel availability. Indonesia is also preparing to launch a strategic minerals and commodities exchange in January 2027, potentially including nickel, as Jakarta seeks greater influence over domestic commodity pricing.
2026-08-21
Nickel Falls to Over 1-Month Low
Nickel traded around $16,750 per tonne in August, retreating to its lowest level since early July as expectations of improved Indonesian supply weighed on prices. The decline followed reports that Indonesia may further relax supplementary RKAB nickel ore quotas, with a major miner expected to receive additional allocations that would significantly increase its 2026 allocation and support downstream smelter feedstock availability in the second half of the year. Prices also came under pressure as easing concerns over potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz reduced sulfur costs, lowering input cost pressures for nickel processing. Meanwhile, expectations that Indonesia will continue to manage nickel ore supply through RKAB quotas, along with elevated production costs, continued to provide some support.
2026-08-06
Nickel Holds Near 1-Month High
Nickel traded above $17,300 per tonne, remaining near its highest level in over a month and up more than 5% during July, as supply concerns in Indonesia supported prices. Indonesian smelters operated by Tsingshan Holding Group, the world's largest nickel producer, suspended some export loadings of mixed hydroxide precipitate and disrupted exports of other nickel products as authorities increased inspections over possible rare-earth content in shipments. The delays raised concerns over potential supply disruptions in the world's largest nickel-producing country, although the government moved to resolve regulatory bottlenecks by coordinating with industry participants and government agencies. Additionally, expectations of tighter Indonesian production controls and higher sulfur costs continued to support prices.
2026-07-31