By Cecile Lefort
SYDNEY, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Dozens of mining trucks on Friday took to the streets of Noumea, capital of the South Pacific island of New Caledonia, to protest the government's ban on some nickel exports to China.
Last week, the heads of the national and local governments along with mining executives vetoed exports of nickel laterites to China because of New Caledonia's longstanding supply agreements with Australia.
"The opening to China is against the mining strategy established in 2009 to maintain export volumes to traditional clients of New Caledonia," Philippe Germain, president of New Caledonia said in a statement.
Germain also said exports to China were unpredictable and blamed the Asian giant for the substantial fall in nickel prices.
Nickel prices CMNI3 hit a six-year low in July and are down 27 percent this year, largely on slowing demand.
The veto angered a large number of truckers who subcontract for mines such as Société Minière du Sud Pacifique SA (SMSP), Ballande Group and Gemini, saying the ban will force many of them to shut down in an already difficult environment with falling export volumes.
"We want to be able to possibly export to China but this is categorically rejected by the government," said Max Foucher, the spokesman of local mining union ContraKmine.
"It forbids us to work with potential Chinese buyers."
Foucher said the mining trucks would remain stationed by the government's offices in Noumea for as long as it takes. The first vehicles deployed in the protest arrived on Wednesday.
Police authorities said there was no disruption in mining operations and cited around 60 vehicles in Noumea, versus 160 claimed by the union.
New Caledonia holds a quarter of the world's nickel reserves, including laterite ores, with mining activities accounting for up to 20 percent of its economy.
A decision by Indonesia to halt exports of raw nickel ores last year has forced China, the world's largest laterite consumer, to source it elsewhere.