A major lithium-producing nation has implemented an export ban, with a minister stating Zimbabwe’s move aims to promote local processing and enhance mining sector efficiency. Zimbabwe has immediately suspended all exports of raw ore and lithium concentrate. This significant policy shift seeks to boost domestic processing and strengthen oversight of the mining sector in the southern African nation. Mining Minister Politis Kambumura told reporters Wednesday that the ban even applies to shipments currently in transit and will “remain in effect until further notice.” He described the measure as being in the “national interest,” citing “widespread irregularities and leakage of exports” in the raw ore trade.
Zimbabwe is Africa’s largest lithium producer, a key material for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage systems. According to Reuters, the country exported over 1.1 million tons of lithium concentrate in 2025, with most shipments destined for China. Following the announcement, lithium prices in China surged significantly. The most actively traded lithium carbonate contract on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange climbed over 6% on Thursday, Reuters reported. Chinese companies including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and China Minmetals Resources are major investors in Zimbabwean lithium projects and have previously committed to building processing plants locally. The mining ministry stated export restrictions would only be lifted if mining firms meet government requirements. Harare’s move mirrors similar restrictions imposed by neighboring countries.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, one of Africa’s most vocal critics of raw material exports, has repeatedly urged African governments to expand domestic processing capacity rather than shipping unrefined resources overseas. Following the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 15, he stated that the continent must move beyond “exporting only stones, dirt, and mineral powder” and instead capture value from downstream smelting and manufacturing.
However, the primary use of spodumene concentrate is smelting into lithium carbonate, which is further refined into lithium salt—the cathode material for lithium batteries—before final assembly. Lithium carbonate is arguably one of the most critical raw materials for lithium batteries. Zimbabwe’s ban on spodumene exports is the primary driver behind rising lithium battery prices.
