Regulation Watch · Environmental Compliance · Indonesia. The decision applies nationally to natural sand obtained from the cleaning of sea sedimentation that is proposed for export under the registered-exporter, export-approval and surveyor framework. It does not itself authorise a cleaning project, allocate a sea location or replace marine, mining, environmental, spatial, business-licensing or customs approvals.
Indonesia Removes One Test from Sea-Sand Export Specifications
Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Decision 87/2026 removes the 100 ppm total rare-earth-metals threshold from the technical specification for exportable sea-sedimentation sand while retaining the other eight limits.
- Published
- Established by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries on 13 October 2026. The official KKP JDIH record also lists 13 October 2026 as the promulgation date. The instrument is a ministerial decision and the official record does not identify a State Gazette or State Bulletin number.
- Effective
- 13 October 2026, the date of establishment stated in the decision.
- Added to Watch
- 23 October 2026
Who is affected
PT PMA and PT PMDN companies involved in sea-sedimentation cleaning, utilisation, sale or export; directors and shareholders; holders of a marine-sand utilisation permit or mining business licence for sale; registered exporters; applicants for export approval; laboratories; surveyors; customs brokers; shipping and logistics providers; financiers; buyers; and environmental, trade and customs advisers.
Practical impact
Decision 87/2026 amends Decision 47/2024 by deleting one product-specification item: total rare-earth metals no longer need to be at or below 100 ppm for the sand to fit the KKP technical criteria. The remaining limits are unchanged: D50 grain size of 0.25 to 2.0 mm, shells or CaCO3 no more than 15 percent, gold no more than 0.05 ppm, silver no more than 0.05 ppm, each listed platinum-group-metal specification no more than 0.05 ppm, silica no more than 95 percent, tin no more than 50 ppm and nickel no more than 35 ppm. The current Ministry of Trade export schedule still requires registered exporter status, export approval and surveyor verification, and the export-approval file still depends on a KKP recommendation containing laboratory results and confirmation that domestic needs are met when the Commodity Balance has not been set.
The Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries established Decision 87/2026 on 13 October 2026, and the decision took effect that day. It amends Decision 47/2024 on the technical specification for sea-sedimentation sand intended for export.
The amendment is narrow but operationally important. The 2024 specification contained nine tests, including total rare-earth metals of no more than 100 ppm. Decision 87/2026 deletes that criterion because the KKP states that a specific rare-earth threshold could not be established and domestic laboratory capacity for the relevant testing remains limited.
Eight criteria remain. The sand must have a D50 grain size of 0.25 to 2.0 mm, shells or CaCO3 of no more than 15 percent, gold of no more than 0.05 ppm, silver of no more than 0.05 ppm, the listed platinum-group-metal specification of no more than 0.05 ppm, silica of no more than 95 percent, tin of no more than 50 ppm and nickel of no more than 35 ppm.
The decision changes the product test, not the export authorisation framework. The current Ministry of Trade schedule classifies the product under ex 2505.10.00 and ex 2505.90.00 and requires registered exporter status, export approval and a surveyor report. The registered-exporter file includes the marine-sand utilisation permit, the mining business licence for sale and a declaration that the material comes from the authorised coordinates.
The export-approval file continues to require a KKP recommendation. That recommendation must identify the product, quantity, unit, authorised location, laboratory results, validity period and, where the Commodity Balance has not been set, confirmation that domestic needs have been met. Surveyor verification applies before export and supports the customs filing.
Operators should therefore revise technical files without treating the deleted rare-earth threshold as a general compliance exemption. Any rare-earth testing required by another permit, contract, lender or internal environmental standard remains relevant. Before shipment, the laboratory report, KKP recommendation, export approval, surveyor report, permits, coordinates, volume and customs description should be reconciled as one control set.
Required action
- Update laboratory scopes, sampling plans, product specifications and export-control checklists so they use the eight criteria in Decision 87/2026 and do not continue treating the deleted 100 ppm total rare-earth-metals limit as a current KKP export criterion.
- Do not remove rare-earth analysis that remains necessary under an environmental approval, project permit, buyer specification, financing covenant, internal risk standard or another applicable rule merely because the KKP export criterion was deleted.
- Before contracting or shipping, verify that the material comes from an authorised sea-sedimentation cleaning location and reconcile the coordinates, volume, HS classification and laboratory report with the marine-sand utilisation permit and mining business licence for sale.
- Maintain valid registered exporter status, obtain the Ministry of Trade export approval, secure the required KKP export recommendation and arrange surveyor verification before the customs export declaration.
- For an application or approval prepared using the former nine-item specification, ask the issuing KKP and Ministry of Trade units whether a revised recommendation, laboratory report or export approval is required before relying on the amended standard.
- Preserve the sampling chain of custody, accredited laboratory results, KKP recommendation, export approval, surveyor report, Commodity Balance evidence where applicable, customs records and proof that domestic needs are satisfied.