Battery Metals - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

Resource Matters Warns of Weak Lithium Permitting Oversight in the DRC

January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 Constance

Resource Matters Criticizes DRC Authorities Over Lack of Transparency in Lithium Mining Permits In a white paper published in December 2025 on value creation in strategic minerals such as copper, cobalt, and lithium, the NGO Resource Matters highlights significant shortcomings in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) lithium permitting process. The organization, which advocates for transparency and good governance in the extractive sector, points to a lack of rigor by Congolese authorities in granting exploitation permits for lithium, a critical mineral for the global energy transition. According to Resource Matters,… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals

Vingroup Advances Green Mobility Project in Kinshasa with VinFast EV Initiative

January 3, 2026January 4, 2026 Constance

Vingroup Plans 120,000 Electric Vehicles in Kinshasa, Launching Sustainable Urban Transport Ecosystem Vietnam’s Vingroup has provided new details on its planned green mobility project in Kinshasa, following a preliminary agreement signed with the city in October 2025. In a statement on December 29, Vingroup said it signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding on December 24 with Kinshasa’s Provincial Ministry of Transport and Urban Mobility and Congolese company Exposure Sarl. The memorandum establishes a framework for cooperation to develop a modern, sustainable, and accessible urban transport system. Through its electric vehicle… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Extends Cobalt Export Quotas to March 2026 Amid Logistical Challenges

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026 Constance

DRC Extends Cobalt Export Quotas to Support Producers After 2025 Export Delays The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has extended the validity of cobalt export quotas for the last quarter of 2025 until March 31, 2026. The announcement was made by the Congolese regulator in a press release dated December 28, 2025. The extension comes in response to difficulties experienced by producers during the resumption of exports following the February 2025 embargo on cobalt, a strategic metal for the electric vehicle battery industry. Although the ban was… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Encouraged to Build Regional and Global Partnerships to Strengthen Cobalt Value Addition

January 2, 2026January 2, 2026 Constance

DRC Cobalt Sector: Resource Matters Urges Strategic SADC Partnerships for Electric Vehicle Battery Production To accelerate the development of its cobalt sector and achieve local processing into precursors for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is being encouraged to establish strategic partnerships, particularly with member countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This recommendation is outlined in a white paper published by the NGO Resource Matters on increasing value addition to Congolese copper, cobalt, and lithium prior to export. According to Resource Matters, such… Read More Here

International Battery Metals

China Launches First High-Capacity All-Solid-State Battery Production Line

December 28, 2025December 28, 2025 Constance

China Advances Electric Vehicle Technology with Breakthrough All-Solid-State Battery Production China has completed construction of its first high-capacity all-solid-state battery production line, marking a significant milestone toward the commercialization of next-generation battery technology widely regarded as critical to the future of electric vehicles. The production line was developed by state-owned automaker GAC Group and is currently undergoing small-scale trial production. It is the first facility in China capable of manufacturing automotive-grade all-solid-state batteries with capacities exceeding 60 amp-hours. All-solid-state batteries differ from conventional lithium-ion batteries by replacing liquid electrolytes with… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Urged to Tie Cobalt Export Quotas to Local Processing to Boost Battery Value Chain

December 28, 2025December 28, 2025 Constance

DRC Cobalt Policy: Resource Matters Calls for Local Processing Rules in Export Quota System The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should use its emerging cobalt export quota system to accelerate local mineral processing and capture more value from the electric vehicle battery supply chain, according to a new white paper published in December 2025 by the NGO Resource Matters. The report, which focuses on the local processing potential of strategic minerals such as cobalt, copper, and lithium, urges the Congolese government to integrate value addition as a core criterion for… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Artisanal mining Battery Metals Cobalt Copper

DRC Suspends Artisanal Copper-Cobalt Processing to Strengthen Mining Sector

December 25, 2025December 25, 2025 Constance

DRC Minister of Mines Suspends Artisanal Copper and Cobalt Processing Amid Traceability Push The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, has taken decisive action by signing Ministerial Order No. 00964/CAB.MIN/MINES/01/2025 on December 19, 2025, suspending all mining and marketing activities carried out by entities processing minerals from artisanal copper and cobalt mining. The suspension specifically targets processing units, including purchasing offices and similar structures, involved in the acquisition, processing, and marketing of minerals sourced from artisanal mining sites. Legally established industrial mining operations are not affected.… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Cobalt Prices Rally as Export Controls Reshape Global Supply

December 24, 2025December 24, 2025 Constance

Cobalt Prices Surge in 2025 as DRC Export Suspension and Quotas Tighten Global Supply Cobalt, a strategic mineral for which the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains the world’s leading producer, has recorded a strong price recovery on international markets since November 2025. Widely used in electronics, electric vehicles, and energy transition technologies, the metal is benefiting from policy measures introduced by the Congolese government, particularly the suspension of exports after prices fell to nearly USD 21,000 per metric ton earlier in the year. Market data compiled by Deskeco shows… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Cobalt Prices Rise Sharply on International Markets as Global Demand Accelerates

December 16, 2025December 16, 2025 Constance

Cobalt Prices Surge on Global Markets, Strengthening the DRC’s Economic Outlook Cobalt prices are maintaining an upward trajectory on international markets, confirming a trend that has been underway for several weeks. According to data from the National Market Commission of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the price of this strategic metal stood at USD 50,958 per tonne during the week of December 15–19, 2025, up from USD 48,472 per tonne the previous week. This increase represents a weekly gain of USD 2,486, reflecting renewed interest in a raw material that… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Battery Metals Cobalt

DRC Cobalt Hydroxide Exports Delayed Amid Complex New Quota System

December 14, 2025December 14, 2025 Constance

DRC Cobalt Hydroxide Shipments Stalled as New Export Quota System Drives Global Price Surge The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s largest producer of cobalt—a critical metal for electric vehicle batteries and advanced technologies—is undergoing a major reorganization of its export system. Despite the official lifting of the export suspension in October 2025, no shipments of cobalt hydroxide have yet left the country, according to Tom Matthews, PhD, senior battery materials analyst at CRU, an international commodity analysis firm. In its fourth-quarter market outlook, CRU highlighted several key developments.… Read More Here