Zimbabwe, Africa’s largest lithium producer, will prohibit the export of lithium concentrates starting January 2027, Mines Minister Winston Chitando announced on Tuesday.
This policy forms part of a wider government plan aimed at increasing local value addition in the mining sector.
“With effect from January 2027, the export of lithium concentrates will no longer be allowed,” Chitando told reporters in Harare.
The decision follows Zimbabwe’s 2022 ban on raw lithium ore exports and signals the country’s determination to build a domestic lithium processing industry rather than exporting semi-processed minerals.
Currently, most lithium miners in Zimbabwe, primarily Chinese-owned firms, export lithium concentrates to China for further refinement.
Chitando said two lithium sulphate processing plants are under development: one at Bikita Minerals, operated by China’s Sinomine Resource Group, and another at Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, owned by Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, according to Reuters.
Lithium sulphate is a crucial intermediate product that can be refined into battery-grade lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate, essential components in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage.
“Because of that capacity which is now in the country, the export of all lithium concentrates will be banned from January 2027,” Chitando explained during the briefing.
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Zimbabwe has become a key player in the global lithium market, especially after price spikes in 2021 and 2022.
Despite a nearly 90% drop in spot prices since then due to oversupply and softer-than-expected electric vehicle demand, Chinese companies continue to invest heavily in Zimbabwe’s lithium sector to secure supply for their domestic refineries.
Last year, Zimbabwe accounted for about 14% of China’s lithium imports, according to industry analyst CRU Group.
Major Chinese firms, including Sinomine, Huayou Cobalt, Chengxin Lithium Group, Yahua Group, and Canmax Technologies, have invested over $1 billion in acquisitions and project developments in Zimbabwe since 2021.
While lithium mining and exploration are also gaining traction in other African countries like Namibia, Mali, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, these efforts remain small compared to extensive projects underway in the Americas, Australia, and Europe.
Zimbabwe’s push to ban concentrate exports underscores its ambition to capture more value within its borders and reduce reliance on foreign processing.
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