Zimbabwe imposed immediate ban on all raw mineral exports including lithium concentrate
Ban covers minerals already in transit with no end date specified
Zimbabwe holds Africa's largest lithium reserves and seeks local processing benefits
Chinese mining firms have invested significantly in Zimbabwe's lithium sector
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Zimbabwe's government, led by Minister of Mines and Mining Development Polite Kambamura, announced on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, an immediate ban on exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrate already in transit, citing the need to ensure transparency, in-country value addition, and compliance in the exportation of the country's mineral resources amid concerns about malpractices. The ban, which covers all minerals currently in transit and will remain in place until further notice, represents an acceleration of the government's previous timeline which had set January 2027 as the deadline for implementing restrictions on lithium concentrate exports. In a statement, the government emphasized that this measure has been taken in the national interest and expects cooperation from the mining industry, while reaffirming its commitment to ensuring accountability in the exportation of Zimbabwe's mineral resources. Zimbabwe holds Africa's largest lithium reserves and exported 1.128 million metric tonnes of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate in the year ended December 2025, up 11 percent from the previous year, with most concentrate exported to China for further processing into battery-grade materials. Mining represents Zimbabwe's second-largest contributor to the country's gross domestic product, accounting for 14.3 percent of output after manufacturing, and the recent expansion of spodumene output has been driven by significant investment from Chinese mining firms including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine, Chengxin Lithium Group and Yahua, which have built processing facilities worth up to $500 million in the country.
🏷️ Themes
Resource Nationalism, Economic Development, Global Supply Chain Security
Extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth
Mining is the extraction of geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly created artificially in a laboratory or factory. Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oi...
Lithium (from Ancient Greek: λίθος, líthos, 'stone') is a chemical element; it has symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the least dense solid element.
Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo River, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The capital and largest city is Harare, and the second...
News | Mining Zimbabwe imposes ban on exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrate The immediate ban covers all raw minerals already in transit and will remain in place until further notice, the government says. Listen to this article | 3 mins By Al Jazeera Staff , AFP and Reuters Published On 25 Feb 2026 25 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media Share Save Zimbabwe has suspended exports of all raw minerals and lithium concentrates with immediate effect until further notice. In an announcement on Wednesday, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Polite Kambamura said the move includes all minerals “currently in transit”. “Government expects cooperation of the mining industry on this measure which has been taken in the national interest,” the statement said. “Government remains committed to ensuring transparency, in-country value addition and beneficiation, compliance, and accountability in the exportation of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources,” it added. The export ban on lithium concentrates had originally been scheduled to come into effect in January 2027, a deadline the government hoped would push mining companies to begin processing and refining the mineral locally. In a letter seen by the Reuters news agency on Wednesday and addressed to Zimbabwe’s Chamber of Mines, which represents major mining companies, the ministry said it would realign export processes due to concern about “continued malpractices during the exportation of minerals”. “This review is part of a broader effort to curb leakages and enhance efficiency within our systems,” the ministry wrote on February 17. Zimbabwe holds Africa’s largest lithium reserves, exporting 1.128 million metric tonnes of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate in the year ended December 2025, up 11 percent from the year before. Most of the concentrate is exported to China for further processing into battery-grade materials, but Zimbabwe has been pressing the miners to process more of the minerals in the country...
