Indonesia has not yet issued new export permit to Freeport: govt official

[JAKARTA] Indonesia has not yet issued a new export permit to the local unit of US copper miner Freeport McMoRan Inc, trade ministry officials said on Friday.

Freeport's six-month export permit for its unit expired on Thursday and it was unclear how soon a new one would be issued as the two sides have yet to resolve a government demand that the US firm first pay a US$530 million deposit.

"Without an export permit, there can be no exports. The exporter knows that," Didi Sumedi, director of mining and industrial products told Reuters via text message.

The trade ministry was waiting for the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to provide a recommendation for the permit to be issued, Karyanto Suprih, acting Director General of Foreign Trade at the Trade Ministry, told Reuters by text.

REUTERS