Category: Battery Metals

In February, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) imposed a four-month ban on cobalt exports, a measure now under review according to the country’s Minister of Mines, Kizito Pakabomba. He made the announcement on May 14 at the Cobalt Congress 2025 in Singapore. At the time the ban was enacted, the country’s regulatory body for strategic minerals, Arecoms, stated that an assessment would be conducted three months into the measure, with possible adjustments or a full reversal depending on the findings. With the ban set to expire on June 22,… Read More Here

According to the latest report from the Cobalt Institute, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reinforced its position as the cornerstone of the global cobalt supply chain in 2024, accounting for over 70% of global mined output. Remarkably, 85% of the country’s cobalt exports were handled by just three companies: CMOC, Glencore, and Eurasian Resources Group (ERG). Production soared to new records, largely driven by CMOC’s output from its Tenke Fungurume (TFM) and Kisanfu (KFM) operations, which together yielded 114,000 tonnes—31% above previously projected capacity. However, this production boom contributed… Read More Here

Chinese cobalt smelters continue to maintain stable supplies of the critical battery metal, despite the four-month export ban imposed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—the world’s top cobalt producer—earlier this year, according to delegates at the Cobalt Congress 2025 held in Singapore. Shirley Wang, General Manager at Shanghai Metals Market, told the conference that Chinese downstream users have stockpiles of intermediate cobalt products ranging from two weeks to six months. “Large-scale users in China have up to six months of inventory. However, smaller companies with only half a month’s… Read More Here

In February 2025, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) made a bold move by suspending cobalt exports for four months. The decision, announced by the Strategic Mineral Substances Market Regulatory and Control Authority (ARCOMS), aimed to stabilize the oversupplied market and increase national revenue from this critical mineral. The impact was immediate. Within just one week, cobalt prices soared by 27% on global markets. By May 2025, the price had climbed to USD 33,630.99 per tonne—up from USD 30,000—underscoring the market’s heavy reliance on Congolese supply. According… Read More Here

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is intensifying efforts to assert greater control over its cobalt sector—one of the world’s most strategic mineral resources—following a high-level meeting held on May 8, 2025, between the Minister of Mines, Kizito Pakabomba Kapinga Mulume, and a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Calixte Ahokpossi. The meeting was part of the IMF’s first review of the DRC’s Economic Program, backed by the Extended Credit Facility (ECF). Key representatives from ARECOMS and the Technical and Coordination Unit of Mining Projects (CTCPM) also… Read More Here