Zimbabwe has immediately suspended exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrates, the mines ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, citing alleged malpractices and leakages.
According to Reuters, The ban applies to all minerals, including those currently in transit, and will remain in effect until further notice.
“Government expects cooperation of the mining industry on this measure which has been taken in the national interest,” the ministry said.
It added, “Government remains committed to … in-country value addition and beneficiation, compliance, and accountability in the exportation of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.”
In a letter dated February 17 and seen by Reuters, the mines ministry informed the Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines, which represents major mining companies, that export procedures would be realigned due to concerns about “continued malpractices during the exportation of minerals”.
The ministry wrote, “This review is part of a broader effort to curb leakages and enhance efficiency within our systems.”
The move accelerates Zimbabwe’s earlier plan to restrict lithium concentrate exports, which had previously been expected to take effect in 2027 as part of efforts to promote more local processing.
Zimbabwe, Africa’s top producer of lithium, exported 1.128 million metric tons of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate in the year ended December 2025, an 11% increase from the previous year.
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In recent years, the country has significantly expanded spodumene production following major investments by Chinese mining firms, including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine, Chengxin Lithium Group, and Yahua.
Most of the lithium concentrate is shipped to China for processing into battery-grade materials. However, Zimbabwe has been urging mining companies to process more minerals locally to capture greater value from the global transition to cleaner energy.
Huayou recently completed a $400 million plant to process lithium concentrates into lithium sulphate, an intermediate product that can be refined into battery-grade materials such as lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate.
Sinomine has also announced plans to invest $500 million in a lithium sulphate plant at its Bikita mine in Zimbabwe.
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Image Credit: CGTN
