Bolden African News · Friday 9 October 2026
Zimbabwe rules out delay to its January 2027 lithium concentrate export ban
Zimbabwe's Secretary for Information, Nick Mangwana, said on 9 October there is no justification for extending the planned ban on lithium concentrate exports due to start in January 2027, and that producers have had ample time to prepare. The policy aims to promote domestic processing. Sinomine and Yahua are building lithium sulphate plants, while Huayou Cobalt has already commissioned one.
Why it matters
Zimbabwe produced about 10% of global mined lithium last year, so the ban affects both local producers and battery supply chains.
Sources: MINING.COM (Bloomberg), FurtherAfrica · 9 October 2026