Indonesia and Chile propose a Green Minerals Partnership covering critical minerals, battery and EV ecosystems, green mining technology, investment, and downstream processing, with IC-CEPA supporting closer cooperation.
Indonesia and Chile have proposed a Green Minerals Partnership to strengthen cooperation in critical minerals, energy, battery materials and green mining, with the initiative also targeting greater investment and downstream industrial development.
Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno proposed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the partnership during a bilateral meeting with Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna in Santiago. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Indonesia-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Mission (INALAC-BM) 2026. Chile welcomed the proposal and said it would follow up on the initiative.
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The proposed MoU would cover joint industrial projects, cooperation among mineral-producing countries, green mining technologies, an investment platform and an ocean-based distribution strategy. The partnership is intended to create a broader framework for cooperation in areas including copper, aluminium, battery materials, mineral processing and mining technology.
Battery and electric vehicle (EV) development are also emerging as key areas of cooperation. Havas encouraged collaboration involving Chilean state-owned copper producer Corporacion Nacional del Cobre (Codelco), PT Freeport Indonesia and Indonesia’s state-owned aluminium producer PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (INALUM). Codelco expressed openness to working with Indonesian counterparts on research and technology.
Indonesia also proposed establishing an “Indonesia-Chile Industrial Bridge” involving INALUM, Freeport Indonesia, Codelco and Chilean company Elecmetal. The proposed cooperation would include environmentally friendly management and the further utilisation of mineral-processing waste, including mine tailings.
The two countries also agreed to prioritise the use of the Indonesia-Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IC-CEPA) for cooperation in the battery and vaccine sectors. The agreement, which entered into force in 2019, provides preferential market access for Indonesian products in Chile, with 6,704 Indonesian products eligible for zero-percent import tariffs across sectors including agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and mining.
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Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Chile reached $535.51 million in 2025, rising 12.4% from the previous year, according to Indonesian Ministry of Trade data cited by ANTARA. Indonesian products gaining competitiveness in Chile include automobiles, fertilisers and footwear.
The proposed partnership comes as both countries seek to expand their roles in global critical-mineral supply chains. Indonesia is strengthening mineral processing and downstream industries, while Chile brings extensive expertise and production capacity in copper, creating opportunities for technology exchange, investment and integrated battery and mineral value chains.