Congo’s Cobalt Exports Still on Hold Weeks After Ban Ends
Economics Desk
– December 3, 2025
4 min read
Six weeks after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially ended its cobalt export ban, not a single approved shipment has left the country. Mining companies are watching stockpiles grow while waiting for a newly created regulator to finish building the system that's supposed to let them resume business.
The DRC produces roughly three-quarters of the world’s cobalt and holds 71% of proven reserves. This metal is essential for electric vehicle batteries, giving the country outsized influence over global markets and unique leverage beyond typical commodity trading.
The DRC first imposed the export ban in February 2025 to curb oversupply and stabilise prices. At the time, cobalt had fallen to its lowest price in nine years. In October, the government introduced a quota system for exports. For 2026 and 2027 the quota is set at roughly half of 2024’s production.
Additionally, companies must comply with new licensing, traceability, and royalty prepayment requirements before shipments can leave the country. The Congolese government regulator overseeing all of this, ARECOMS, the Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances’ Markets, has admitted the practical mechanics are still being ironed out. That's what's causing the current paralysis.
China’s CMOC Group, the world’s largest cobalt producer, pushed back against the DRC’s export ban, warning at an industry meeting in May that its stockpiles were running low and that prolonged restrictions could accelerate a shift to cobalt-free battery technologies. CMOC has received the biggest quota under the DRC’s new export framework.
Glencore, which got the second-largest quota, took the opposite approach. The mining giant signalled support for Congo’s restrictions, emphasising the need for stable pricing and disciplined supply management.
Cobalt prices have doubled since the ban took effect. ARECOMS has communicated it expects to complete the outstanding steps for restarting shipments “in the coming days”.
