Legal Politics of the Nickel Export Ban Policy in Natural Resource Management Post-Job Creation Law

The nickel export ban policy is a legal instrument adopted by the government to realize downstreaming as part of natural resource management in accordance with the mandate of Article 33 paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. This study aims to analyze the legal politics of the nickel export ban policy in natural resource management after Law Number 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation and examine its implications for natural resource management, legal certainty, and the investment climate. The study uses a normative legal method with a statutory regulatory approach and a conceptual approach. The results of the study indicate that the nickel export ban is a manifestation of the state's legal politics in exercising the state's right to control through a downstreaming policy to increase the added value of minerals, strengthen national industrialization, and realize the prosperity of the people. After the Job Creation Law, the government continues to maintain the downstreaming policy by simplifying business licensing through a risk-based Online Single Submission system to increase investment competitiveness. This policy has a positive impact on increasing investment and the development of the mineral processing industry, but still faces challenges in the form of legal certainty, environmental protection, and consistent implementation of regulations so that sustainable and equitable governance is needed.