JAKARTA/TOKYO -- From Germany-based BASF to Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining, overseas companies are rushing to set up nickel-processing facilities in Indonesia as the country bans exports of raw ore.
Nickel is a critical part of electric-vehicle batteries, and Indonesia hopes to leverage its rich reserves to establish a domestic battery supply chain. But aggressive policies by the world's largest producer of the metal have also raised concerns over the negative impact of resource nationalism.