DRC Extends Cobalt Export Ban Amid Global Supply Squeeze and Rising Prices 1 Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt 

DRC Extends Cobalt Export Ban Amid Global Supply Squeeze and Rising Prices

The Strategic Minerals Market Regulatory and Control Authority (ARECOMS) has announced a three-month extension of the temporary suspension on cobalt exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The renewed measure, effective from June 21, 2025, was made public via a press release issued on Saturday, June 21. According to the ARECOMS Board of Directors, led by Patrick Mpoyi Luabeya, the decision stems from continued oversupply in the market. The suspension applies to all cobalt produced across the country—whether sourced from industrial, semi-industrial, artisanal, or small-scale mining operations. This extension… Read More Here
Celsius Exits Opuwo Cobalt Project in Namibia to Prioritize Philippine Flagship 2 International Battery Metals Cobalt 

Celsius Exits Opuwo Cobalt Project in Namibia to Prioritize Philippine Flagship

Celsius Resources is moving forward with plans to divest its 95% interest in the Opuwo Cobalt Project in Namibia, as it sharpens its strategic focus on its flagship Maalinao-Caigutan-Biyog (MCB) Copper-Gold Project in the Philippines. The Opuwo Cobalt Project, one of the largest known cobalt deposits outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is owned by the Opuwo Cobalt Group, in which Celsius holds a 95% stake. In March 2025, Celsius revalued the group’s assets at approximately USD 3.02 million. As of June 30, 2024, all assets under the… Read More Here
Zimbabwe to Ban Lithium Concentrate Exports by 2027 to Boost Local Processing 3 International Battery Metals Lithium 

Zimbabwe to Ban Lithium Concentrate Exports by 2027 to Boost Local Processing

Zimbabwe will prohibit the export of lithium concentrates starting in 2027, as part of its broader effort to increase local processing of the valuable mineral, Mines Minister Winston Chitando announced on Tuesday. As Africa’s leading producer of lithium—a key component in batteries used for renewable energy technologies—Zimbabwe previously banned the export of raw lithium ore in 2022. Since then, the government has been encouraging miners to add value locally by processing more of the mineral within the country. Most lithium mining operations in Zimbabwe are operated by Chinese companies, which… Read More Here
Glencore Declares Force Majeure on Cobalt Shipments Following DRC Export Ban 4 Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt Corporate News 

Glencore Declares Force Majeure on Cobalt Shipments Following DRC Export Ban

Glencore has declared force majeure on certain cobalt deliveries from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), just days after the Congolese government imposed a temporary export ban on the key battery metal, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters. The DRC, which produces the majority of the world’s cobalt, enacted a four-month export ban in February in a bid to ease a supply glut that had depressed prices to their lowest levels in nine years and reduced government revenue. As a result, Glencore, listed on… Read More Here
Zambia Courts Carmakers to Build EV Component Plants Near Copper Mines 5 Mining in Zambia Battery Metals Copper 

Zambia Courts Carmakers to Build EV Component Plants Near Copper Mines

Zambia has opened discussions with global car manufacturers to encourage the establishment of electric vehicle (EV) component factories near its copper mining operations, a strategic move aimed at boosting local value addition and integrating the country into the EV global supply chain. Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, speaking at Bloomberg’s annual Africa Business Media Innovators conference in Livingstone, revealed that the government is actively engaging with automakers. “Even last week when I was in Germany, I urged companies to consider manufacturing some of their electric-vehicle components in Zambia,” Musokotwane said.“Those components… Read More Here
Australia’s Cobalt Blue Secures Three-Year Feedstock Deal with Glencore for Kwinana Refinery 6 International Battery Metals Cobalt 

Australia’s Cobalt Blue Secures Three-Year Feedstock Deal with Glencore for Kwinana Refinery

Australia’s Cobalt Blue has signed a three-year agreement with global commodities giant Glencore to supply up to half of the feedstock required for its Kwinana Cobalt Refinery (KCR). Under the deal, Glencore will provide a minimum of 3,750 tonnes of cobalt hydroxide sourced from its Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) and Mutanda Mining operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The KCR facility, jointly developed by Cobalt Blue and Japan’s Iwatani Corporation in Western Australia, is set to become Australia’s first cobalt sulfate plant catering to lithium-ion battery markets and… Read More Here
New US-Zambia Copper-Cobalt Venture Launched with $100M Investment 7 Mining in Zambia Battery Metals Cobalt Copper New Mining Projects 

New US-Zambia Copper-Cobalt Venture Launched with $100M Investment

US-based critical minerals developer Terra Metals and resource investment firm Metalex Commodities have finalized an agreement to establish Lunda Resources, a new copper and cobalt production venture in Zambia that both companies describe as a potential “powerhouse” in the global critical minerals market. A formal signing ceremony is set to take place at the US Embassy in Lusaka, underscoring the initiative’s alignment with US government priorities on securing critical mineral supply chains. In a statement released Wednesday, Terra Metals said the agreement represents a significant diplomatic and commercial milestone for… Read More Here
Nigeria to Commission Lithium Plants in Shift Toward Domestic Value Addition 8 International Battery Metals Lithium 

Nigeria to Commission Lithium Plants in Shift Toward Domestic Value Addition

Nigeria is poised to launch two major lithium processing plants this year, marking a strategic shift from exporting raw minerals to developing domestic value chains through processing, manufacturing, and job creation. Mining Minister Dele Alake announced that a $600 million lithium processing facility near the Kaduna-Niger border will be commissioned this quarter, while a $200 million refinery on the outskirts of Abuja is nearing completion. He also revealed that two additional lithium plants are expected to be operational in Nasarawa State by the third quarter of 2025. “We are now… Read More Here
Rio Tinto Secures Majority Stake in Chile’s Altoandinos Lithium Project 9 International Battery Metals Corporate News Lithium New Mining Projects 

Rio Tinto Secures Majority Stake in Chile’s Altoandinos Lithium Project

SANTIAGO – Chile’s state-owned National Mining Company (ENAMI) has selected global mining giant Rio Tinto to take a 51% stake in the Altoandinos lithium project, marking the company’s second major lithium venture in Chile. Rio Tinto will initially invest $425 million to fund pre-feasibility studies, including the deployment of its pilot plant at the Rincon project in Argentina and the use of its proprietary direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology. The partnership was announced on Thursday, following a competitive bidding process in which Rio outpaced contenders such as France’s Eramet, China’s… Read More Here
Atlantic Lithium Uncovers High Grade Lithium Pegmatites in Ivory Coast 10 International Battery Metals Corporate News Lithium 

Atlantic Lithium Uncovers High Grade Lithium Pegmatites in Ivory Coast

Atlantic Lithium, an Australian mining company, announced on Thursday, May 22, 2025, the discovery of spodumene-rich pegmatites—lithium-bearing rocks—on its exploration permits in Côte d’Ivoire. The findings, based on rock samples collected from the Agboville and Rubino permits, revealed high lithium grades of up to 1.25%. These results stem from the first two phases of a sampling program initiated in 2024, following the granting of exploration licenses to the company’s local subsidiary, Khaleesi Resources SARL. At the Rubino permit, geological anomalies indicating lithium mineralization span an area of approximately 2.5 km… Read More Here

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