Zimbabwe bans exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates

Zimbabwe has issued a decision to ban all exports of raw metals and lithium concentrates, in a move aimed at strengthening the government’s control over its essential mineral resources.

The Ministry of Mines in Zimbabwe stated in a statement that the ban took effect immediately after the issuance of the decision and “until further notice” on all minerals, including those still in transit.

The statement quoted Zimbabwe’s Minister of Mines, Paulette Kambamura, as saying that the government is counting on the cooperation of the mining sector in this measure, which was taken in the national interest.

He added that the government was determined to commit to ensuring transparency, local processing and value addition, compliance with commitments and accountability in the export of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.

Zimbabwe, located in southern Africa, has the continent’s largest reserves of lithium, a mineral that it exports in large quantities to China and is used to make electric car batteries.