DRC Bans Copper and Cobalt Concentrate Exports, Effective Immediately
Claire Weston
The Democratic Republic of Congo signed an order on June 29 banning all exports of copper and cobalt concentrates with immediate effect, requiring ore to be processed domestically. This means → the world's largest cobalt source and second-largest copper supplier is shutting off raw-material outflows, putting direct pressure on downstream supply chains.
What exactly was banned — and who signed it?
Three ministers — mining, foreign trade, and economy — co-signed the order, which states that "exports of copper and cobalt concentrates are prohibited," effective immediately.
The mining minister may grant exemptions in "strategic" cases, capped at one year. This means → the default export channel is closed; only case-by-case approvals remain.
Reuters obtained and reviewed the order on Thursday. None of the affected miners commented.
Why does the DRC matter this much?
The DRC is the world's largest cobalt producer and the world's second-largest copper supplier — global supply of both metals is heavily concentrated in one country.
Major miners operating there include China's CMOC (the world's largest cobalt producer), Glencore, Huayou Cobalt, Zijin Mining, Ivanhoe Mines, and Eurasian Resources Group.
In plain terms = these companies used to ship concentrates out freely. Now the ore must be processed inside the DRC — or it does not leave.
How does the new tax regime fit in?
Alongside the ban, the government introduced a new tax on economically significant mining by-products, assessed at a 55% valuation coefficient.
Miners must declare by-products in export shipments immediately; the new tax carries a three-month transition period.
This means → even if a miner secures an exemption for its primary product, the by-product tax will sharply raise operating costs.
Can this policy actually work — where is the bottleneck?
The DRC's domestic smelting capacity is far short of what is needed to process all concentrates locally — this is the biggest variable for implementation.
This reflects a major escalation in the DRC's resource-localization strategy: moving beyond taxes and royalties to demanding the entire processing chain stay onshore.
In plain terms = the intent is clear — replace the "mine-and-ship" model with "mine-and-refine-locally." Whether enough smelters exist, and how fast new ones can be built, will determine if this policy acts as leverage or a bottleneck.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.