Battery Metals - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

DRC Seeks U.S. Security Partnership in Exchange for Critical Mineral Access

March 22, 2025March 22, 2025 Constance

In a March 19, 2025, interview with Fox News, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi confirmed his government’s interest in negotiating a security partnership with the United States in return for access to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) vast critical mineral resources. “We are looking for partnerships and have established some with several countries. We believe that the United States, given its role and influence in the world, is an important partner for us. We are happy to see that with the Trump administration, things are moving forward at a faster… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Corporate News Lithium

AVZ Minerals Wins Legal Battle Over Manono Lithium Mine in DRC

March 14, 2025March 14, 2025 Constance

Australia’s AVZ Minerals has secured a legal victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and China’s Zijin Mining in a dispute over rights to the Manono lithium mine. The company is now in talks with U.S. investors to secure funding for the project. The International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has ordered DRC’s state-owned mining company, Cominiere, to pay a €39.1 million penalty for failing to comply with previous rulings preventing it from terminating its joint venture with AVZ. AVZ initially held the permit… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Governance Uranium

DRC Seeks Exclusive Partnership with US for Critical Minerals and Security Assistance

March 5, 2025March 5, 2025 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has proposed an exclusive partnership with the United States, offering access to its vast mineral resources and infrastructure projects in exchange for security assistance amid a rebellion supported by neighboring Rwanda. In a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Congo requested an urgent meeting between Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Donald Trump to discuss a potential agreement that would grant American companies access to some of the world’s most valuable minerals essential for the global energy transition. “As the world’s largest supplier of… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Suspends Cobalt Exports to Control Market Price: Risks and Opportunities

February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 Constance

On February 22, 2025, the Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances Markets (ARECOMS) announced a four-month suspension of cobalt exports from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This decision aims to address the global oversupply of cobalt, a key metal used in electric vehicle batteries and other technologies, and to give the Congolese government and its mining partners the ability to regulate cobalt prices. However, while the measure could help stabilize prices, it also presents several risks and challenges, according to various experts. The Reason Behind… Read More Here

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India Expands Critical Minerals Hunt in Zambia, DRC, and Australia

February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 Constance

India is actively exploring critical mineral mining in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Australia to secure key raw materials like lithium, Mines Secretary VL Kantha Rao announced on Thursday. State-owned companies, including Coal India, NMDC, and ONGC Videsh, are involved in mineral exploration in Australia as part of India’s strategy to reduce dependence on imports, particularly for lithium—an essential component in energy transition technologies. India is still developing its lithium processing capabilities, a field currently dominated by China. Meanwhile, the Zambian government has allocated 9,000 km² for… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Weighs Cobalt Export Quotas to Stabilize Prices

February 26, 2025February 26, 2025 Constance

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is considering introducing cobalt export quotas in an effort to curb oversupply and support prices. As the world’s largest supplier of cobalt, the country is seeking to counter historically low prices caused by sluggish demand from automakers and increased copper production, which yields cobalt as a by-product. The Congolese government has discussed implementing export limits, though no final decision has been made. Earlier this week, authorities imposed a four-month export ban to address the supply glut. The ban, announced by the Authority for the… Read More Here

International Battery Metals Corporate News

Trafigura Seeks Court Approval to Subpoena Wall Street Banks in Nickel Fraud Case

January 31, 2025January 31, 2025 Constance

Trafigura Group is seeking court approval to subpoena major Wall Street banks for information that could help the commodity trading giant trace over half a billion dollars lost in an alleged nickel fraud. The company is still pursuing the funds nearly two years after it was revealed that nearly $600 million worth of nickel, stored in containers, was actually low-value carbon steel. Trafigura is suing businessman Prateek Gupta and his affiliated companies in London for the funds. On Monday, Trafigura filed a request in a New York court to subpoena… Read More Here

International Battery Metals Cobalt

Chile Launches $3-$4 Million Initiative to Extract Cobalt and Rare Earths from Mining Waste

January 22, 2025January 22, 2025 Constance

SANTIAGO – Chile’s development agency, Corfo, has launched a call for studies focused on extracting cobalt and rare earths from mining waste, offering $3 million to $4 million per project for a three-year period. This initiative is part of Chile’s strategy to tap into its nearly 800 tailings deposits across the country. Mining companies are increasingly looking for ways to extract valuable metals from these waste deposits, especially as global demand for metals like cobalt and copper surges with the energy transition. “These are strategic minerals, particularly cobalt and rare… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Lithium New Mining Projects

Zijin Mining to Begin Lithium Production in the DRC Amid Legal Disputes

January 9, 2025January 9, 2025 Constance

China’s Zijin Mining Group Co. is set to commence lithium production in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) early next year, leveraging one of the world’s largest deposits of the battery metal. Zijin is ramping up development at the Manono project in southeastern Congo, despite an ongoing legal dispute with Australia’s AVZ Minerals Ltd. AVZ has initiated arbitration against the DRC government, claiming the project’s exploration license was unlawfully reassigned. The Manono project, slated to begin production in Q1 2026, will be the first operational lithium mine in Congo, a… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt Corporate News

CMOC Group Achieves Record Cobalt Production with African Expansion

January 8, 2025January 8, 2025 Constance

China’s CMOC Group set a new benchmark in global cobalt production in 2024, thanks to a rapid increase in output from its African mining operations. The company announced it produced 114,165 tonnes of cobalt last year, nearly doubling the 55,526 tonnes achieved in 2023. This output far exceeded its 2024 guidance of 70,000 tonnes, solidifying CMOC’s status as the world’s leading cobalt supplier. In 2023, CMOC overtook Glencore as the largest global cobalt producer, driven by significant production gains from its Kisanfu mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),… Read More Here