Mines: DRC Bans Export of Raw Copper and Cobalt

 The texts nevertheless provide for a temporary exemption of one year, granted on a case-by-case basis by the authorities to operators facing specific technological or economic constraints. The economic stakes are central: as the world's largest producer of cobalt, accounting for 70% of global volume, and the second-largest supplier of copper, the Congolese state generated $5.84 billion in extractive revenues in 2023, with the mining sector accounting for 96% of public revenues, compared to only 4% for the oil sector.

The strict regulation of the market comes at a time when the international context is very favorable to energy transition metals. Global copper prices exceed $13,600 per ton, driven by demand from electrical networks and computer infrastructure, with estimated Congolese exports of $37 billion per year by 2030. Meanwhile, cobalt has surpassed $56,000 per ton due to the needs of battery manufacturers for electric vehicles. To protect extraction sites and regulate artisanal mining, Kinshasa is negotiating the training of 20,000 specialized agents to form a mining protection force on the ground.

The on-site transformation of mineral concentrates is the fundamental lever for industrializing the Katanga basin and multiplying qualified jobs. By closing the raw export circuits, the public authorities are forcing international conglomerates to invest in modern smelters and refining plants. Local valorization of production will substantially increase the tax revenue collected by the public treasury while reducing capital flight.

The success of the initiative will require stable energy supply to power the new metropolitan treatment units. The strengthening of industrial electricity supply and the improvement of railway evacuation routes will determine the long-term viability of Kinshasa's strategy. Without massive investments in support infrastructure, the obligation to transform risks creating temporary bottlenecks in mineral storage.

Nlend Flore