The Democratic Republic of Congo has moved to strengthen its control over global critical mineral markets by creating a strategic reserve for cobalt and other key resources.
The national minerals regulator, ARECOMS, confirmed on Thursday that the reserve has been established under a decree adopted by the cabinet on April 10, giving the state expanded authority over unused export quotas and mineral stockpiles.
Under the new arrangement, ARECOMS will manage the strategic reserve with powers to acquire, hold, and market strategic minerals, according to Reuters.
The reserve is designed to serve as a tool for managing Congo’s export quota volumes and enhancing state intervention in global supply conditions.
Congo, which is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and accounted for about 70% of global supply last year, has already been actively reshaping its export system.
Earlier last year, the country imposed a months-long export ban before transitioning in October to a quota regime aimed at addressing a price slump driven by oversupply.
Export data shows a significant shift in volumes under the new framework, with Congo shipping about 48,800 metric tons of cobalt in the first quarter of this year, compared with roughly 123,000 tons during the same period last year when exporters accelerated shipments ahead of the export freeze.
As part of the quota policy, the government has set aside 10% of national cobalt export volumes for strategic use, amounting to 9,600 metric tons for 2026.
Authorities have also warned that companies failing to ship allocated quotas within set deadlines will forfeit them to the state reserve.
Exporters who do not meet deadlines for fourth-quarter 2025 quotas by April 30 and first-quarter 2026 quotas by end-June risk losing those allocations.
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The newly announced reserve will operate within this framework, giving the state an additional mechanism to manage supply. ARECOMS said the system strengthens its ability to intervene in the cobalt market alongside its broader quota policy.
Major mining operators in Congo include China’s CMOC (603993.SS) and Glencore (GLEN.L), alongside the Eurasian Resources Group, Huayou (603799.SS), and Chinese-controlled Sicomines.
According to the regulator, “It will allow the Congolese state to intervene in a targeted manner regarding the quantities of strategic mineral substances available in order to maintain the balance of the international market and contribute to strengthening its economic sovereignty.”
Cobalt, along with coltan and germanium, was designated as a strategic mineral under a 2018 decree, placing their production and export under heightened state oversight.
The regulator said the strategic reserve enhances the government’s ability to influence supply levels in global markets while reinforcing its existing export controls.
What this means for Africa
Congo’s move highlights how African resource-rich countries are increasingly using policy tools to assert greater control over critical mineral supply chains.
For Africa’s mining economies, it signals a shift toward stronger state involvement in managing exports, pricing stability, and national benefit from strategic resources.
It also reflects how countries on the continent can leverage dominance in key minerals to influence global demand dynamics, particularly in fast-growing sectors such as battery production and energy transition industries.
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