Zimbabwe’s Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Polite Kambamura, announced on Wednesday that all exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates would be banned until further notice due to unspecified “continued malpractices” in the mining industry.
Kamambura told reporters the ban would take effect immediately and would even apply to minerals “currently in transit.”
The mining ministry said it expects “cooperation of the mining industry on this measure which has been taken in the national interest.”
“Government remains committed to ensuring transparency, in-country value addition and beneficiation, compliance, and accountability in the exportation of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources,” the ministry added.
The Ministry of Mines sent a letter to the mining industry’s chamber of commerce that said export processes would be “realigned” over concerns about “continued malpractices during the exportation of minerals.”
The ban on exporting lithium concentrates is no surprise, since the government of Zimbabwe has been talking about imposing a ban on exports as an incentive for mining companies to refine their lithium locally. Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserves in Africa, but most of its product is currently exported to China for processing into batteries.
An earlier push to require local processing of lithium collapsed in 2024 when prices slumped. Until Wednesday, Zimbabwean officials had spoken of imposing an export ban on concentrates in January 2027, so the timetable appears to have suddenly moved up by almost a year.
Lithium stocks rose substantially in early trading on Wednesday after news that Zimbabwe’s supply of lithium concentrates would be temporarily halted.
Business Insider Africa noted on Wednesday that Zimbabwe managed to bring inflation down to single digits last month for the first time in over 20 years and, since its currency is partially backed by gold, the government might have decided a temporary ban on mineral exports would help to consolidate its gains.
The Caledonia Mining Corporation in January announced a $132 million plan to develop a gold mine that could become Zimbabwe’s largest, with production scheduled to begin in 2028 and quickly reach 200,000 ounces of gold per year.
Kamambura said in his press conference that the ban on mineral exports would remain in place until mining companies comply with the government’s requirements, so the regulatory flex clearly has an element of arm-twisting.
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