  
  
WT/DS592/2  
 
11 December 2019  
(19-8522) Page: 1/1 
  Original: English  
 
 
INDONESIA – MEASURES  RELATING TO RAW MAT ERIALS  
REQUEST TO JOIN CONS ULTATIONS  
Communication from the United States  
The following communication,  dated 6 December 2019, from the delegation of the United States to 
the delegation of Indonesia, and the delegation of European Union, is circulated to the Dispute 
Settlement Body in accordance with Article 4.11 of the DSU.  
 
_______________  
 
 
This concerns  the request for consultations by the European Union in Indonesia – Measures Relating 
to Raw Materials  (WT/DS592/1) . My authorities have instructed me to notify the consulting Members 
and the Dispute Settlement Body of the desire of the United States to be  joined in these 
consultations, pursuant to Article 4.11 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the 
Settlement of Disputes . 
 
The United States has a substantial trade interest in these consultations. Indonesia is the world’s 
largest nickel producer, accounting for roughly a quarter of world nickel production and reserves.1 
Accordingly, the measures identified by the European Union – including a ban on export of nickel 
ore, domestic processing requirements, domestic marketing requirements, an d export licensing 
requirements – would reduce global nickel supply and increase prices.  
 
The United States imports considerable quantities of minerals that are subject to the measures 
challenged by the European Union. The United States imported a total of  $2.9 billion worth of nickel 
in 2018 from various sources, and the United States is the second largest importer of nickel from 
Indonesia and the world’s second -largest nickel importer.2 The United States is also the world’s 
leading importer of nickel meta l waste and scrap.3 Nickel is a vital input for a range of goods – 
including steel, jet engines, and batteries for electric vehicles – for which the United States is a 
leading producer, and imported nickel accounts for roughly half of U.S. nickel consumpti on.4 As such, 
the United States considers that it has a substantial trade interest and requests to be joined in these 
consultations.  
 
 
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1 U.S. Geological Survey, Nickel Commodity Summary 2019 , https://prd -wret.s3 -us-west-
2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/atoms/files/mcs -2019-nicke.pdf . 
2 U.S. Census 2019, Trade Data Moni tor. 
3 Trade Data Monitor . 
4 U.S. Geological Survey, Nickel Commodity Summary 2019 . The United States produced 2.4 million 
tons of nickel -bearing stainless steel and alloy products in 2018, accounting for slightly less than half of U.S. 
primary nickel cons umption, along with substantial quantities of nonferrous alloys and super -alloys, and 
advanced manufactured goods such as engines and electric vehicle batteries.  