DRC Enforces Export Quota Deadlines to Stabilise Cobalt Supply
DR Congo Mining Regulator Orders Miners to Use 2025 Cobalt Export Quotas by April 30 or Forfeit Volumes
The mining regulator of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has directed mining companies to utilise all outstanding fourth-quarter 2025 export quotas by April 30, warning that any unused volumes after that deadline will be forfeited and transferred to a strategic reserve.
The regulator, Autorité de Régulation et de Contrôle des Marchés des Substances Stratégiques (ARECOMS), also confirmed that quotas allocated for the first quarter of 2026 can be shipped until June 30, alongside shipments scheduled for the second quarter. The authority emphasised that total export quotas issued for 2026 remain valid.
ARECOMS Chairperson Patrick Luabeya said in a statement signed on Monday and released on Tuesday that the new measures, including the withdrawal of quotas for non-compliance, came into effect on March 31, 2026.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, which accounts for approximately 70% of global cobalt supply, introduced export quotas last year following a months-long export ban designed to curb oversupply in international markets. The policy shift contributed to a recovery in global cobalt prices.
Logistical Constraints Slow Shipments
Industry sources indicate that although companies resumed exports after the lifting of the ban, operational and logistical challenges under the new quota regime have slowed the execution of allocated shipment volumes.
Market reaction to the regulator’s directive has been mixed among major producers.
A source at leading cobalt producer CMOC Group Limited said the April 30 deadline was manageable, noting that the company had already loaded its entire fourth-quarter quota and had not yet begun utilising its first-quarter allocations.
Meanwhile, a source from the company’s trading arm, IXM, said the extension appears adequate but remains challenging due to limited clarity around regulatory timelines.
Another industry source at Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt described the decision as “good news” for producers navigating the revised export framework.
The directive underscores the government’s ongoing efforts to manage supply flows, stabilise commodity prices, and strengthen oversight of strategic minerals in one of the world’s most critical battery metals markets.
