World Lithium Giant Follows Indonesia's Lead, Bans Raw Exports and Insists on Downstream Processing
The Government of Zimbabwe has officially suspended all raw lithium mineral and concentrate export activities, effective immediately. This drastic policy marks a major shift in the country’s mining roadmap, aimed at encouraging local processing and tightening oversight of the mining sector in the southern African nation.
Zimbabwe’s Mining Minister, Polite Kambamura, stated to journalists on Wednesday that the ban also applies to shipments currently in transit. According to him, the instruction will remain in force until further notice from relevant authorities.
Kambamura emphasised that this firm step was taken in the national interest. He cited findings of widespread malpractices and export leakages in raw mineral trading that have been harming the country.
“These measures are implemented to increase value addition to local minerals and downstream processing, as well as to improve human accountability, promote local benefits, and maximise value retention domestically,” Kambamura said in his official statement.
Zimbabwe currently holds the status of Africa’s largest lithium producer, a key component in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage systems. According to Reuters, in 2025 alone, the country exported more than 1.1 million tonnes of spodumene concentrate containing lithium, with most shipments destined for the Chinese market.
This new directive expands the government’s previous plan to restrict unprocessed lithium exports. Zimbabwe’s authorities are now increasingly pressuring mining companies to immediately build processing plants or smelters within their territory.
The global commodities market reacted immediately to the announcement, with lithium prices in China surging sharply. The most actively traded lithium carbonate contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange jumped over 6% on Thursday. Chinese giant companies, including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine, major investors in Zimbabwe, had previously committed to building local processing facilities.
Zimbabwe’s Mining Ministry stated that the export barrier will only be lifted once miners have complied with strict government requirements. This serves as a warning to investors to quickly realise their downstream processing investment commitments.
Harare’s move follows similar policies adopted by neighbouring countries. Malawi banned the export of unprocessed minerals in October, whilst Namibia has banned large-scale raw ore exports since 2023 to promote domestic benefits.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, a vocal critic of raw material exports, continues to urge African governments to expand domestic processing capacity. Following the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on 15 February, he emphasised that it is time for the continent to stop sending its natural wealth without added value.
“Africa must no longer export stone, earth, and dust without benefiting from downstream refining and manufacturing,” Ramaphosa said firmly.