Congo Ends Cobalt Export Ban, Sets Annual Quotas

The Democratic Republic of Congo will lift its cobalt export ban on October 16 and replace it with annual quotas to manage global supply, the country’s strategic minerals regulator said. Miners may ship up to 18,125 tons for the rest of 2025, with annual caps of 96,600 tons in 2026 and 2027, according to the Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances’ Markets. Congo, which accounted for about 70% of global cobalt output last year, suspended exports in February after prices hit a nine-year low, later extending the ban in June. The halt forced producers like Glencore and China’s CMOC Group to declare force majeure. The quota system, supported by Glencore but opposed by CMOC, is intended to reduce inventories and bolster prices. It also comes amid worsening conflict in eastern Congo. Quotas will be distributed based on miners’ historical exports.