Kinshasa | June 22, 2025 The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the world’s leading supplier of cobalt, has extended its ban on cobalt exports by an additional three months in a bid to stabilise global markets and address continued oversupply. The decision, announced on Saturday by the country’s strategic mineral regulator, comes as prices for the critical electric vehicle (EV) battery component remain under pressure.
The original four-month suspension, imposed in February when cobalt prices fell to a nine-year low of $10 per pound, was set to expire on Sunday. However, the Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances' Markets (ARECOMS) stated that market conditions have not sufficiently improved to warrant lifting the ban.
"The decision has been taken to extend the temporary suspension due to the continued high level of stock on the market," ARECOMS said in an official statement. The regulator added that a further decision—whether to lift, revise, or prolong the suspension—will be made before the new deadline in September.
As reported by Reuters, Congolese authorities are simultaneously evaluating a quota-based system to regulate cobalt shipments once the ban is lifted. The move would allow for a more structured release of supply into global markets and potentially prevent future price crashes.
The quota proposal has received support from major industry players, including Glencore, the world’s second-largest cobalt producer. However, the initiative has met resistance from China’s CMOC Group, the leading cobalt producer globally, which continues to lobby for the immediate lifting of the export ban.
The DRC produces more than 70% of the world’s cobalt, a metal essential to lithium-ion battery manufacturing for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and energy storage systems. The extended suspension is expected to influence supply chain strategies across multiple industries and may further reshape the competitive landscape between Western and Chinese mining interests in Africa.
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