Zimbabwe has granted mining firms export quotas for lithium concentrates, two months after Africa’s top lithium producer suspended exports of the key battery material.
Mines Minister Polite Kambamura said all producers have been granted quotas to export lithium concentrate, ahead of a 2027 deadline for them to move up the value chain to lithium sulphate. The quotas were granted to companies including Chengxin Lithium, which operates Sabi Star Mine, and Sinomine Resources, which runs Bikita Minerals.
“For now, we are giving them export quotas, the rationale being to avoid disruptions associated with resource depletion while beneficiation facilities are being established, as expected by government,” Kambamusa says.
In February, Zimbabwe suspended all raw minerals and lithium concentrates, citing alleged malpractices and leakages. However, earlier this month, authorities told producers they would introduce quotas for lithium concentrate exports and require more processing to be done locally as part of conditions to allow the resumption of mineral exports.
In 2025, Zimbabwe exported 1.128 million metric tons of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate to China, accounting for about 15% of its lithium concentrate imports for the year.
Chengxin Lithium says the company’s lithium concentrate production capacity in Zimbabwe was approximately 290,000 metric tons annually, and the quota it received was sufficient for meeting production needs. Sinomine Resource said it had received a quota of 200,000 metric tons, which was roughly equivalent to its monthly output in Zimbabwe, according to the report. Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, another major player in Zimbabwe’s lithium mining sector, said it had not received any relevant notice from the Zimbabwean government, the report said.
newZWire/Reuters
