Congo miners urge urgent talks to clear cobalt export backlog

Congo’s mining lobby has called for urgent talks with the government to clarify new cobalt export rules, and said that legal ambiguities and compliance hurdles could delay shipments and disrupt global battery supply chains.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, which supplies over 70% of global cobalt, launched the quota regime on October 16 after a months-long ban, allocating 18,125 metric tons for the fourth quarter and capping annual exports at 96,600 tons from 2026.

China’s CMOC and Glencore, the world’s two biggest cobalt-producing companies, received the largest shares, while regulator ARECOMS retained a 10% strategic reserve.

The government threatened severe penalties for non-compliance but shipments have yet to move as exporters struggle with unclear procedures and payment requirements.

Reuters reported last week that Congo added conditions under a government circular, requiring miners to prepay a 10% royalty within 48 hours and obtain a compliance certificate before shipments can move.

‘Serious difficulties’

In the letter to the mines minister dated December 5 and seen by Reuters, the Chamber of Mines said exporters face “serious difficulties” in applying quotas and have repeatedly sought, without success, a meeting with ARECOMS to clarify concerns over its role, the legality of mandatory prepayments, and new documentation requirements that have stalled shipments.

The mines chamber confirmed the letter, declining further comment.

“Any measure perceived as deviating from the mining code, notably prepayment of royalties, could undermine operator confidence and damage Congo’s international credibility,” the letter said, urging a high-level meeting with ARECOMS, state agencies and major producers.

“It is urgent to guarantee legal security and preserve the sector’s attractiveness.”

The mines ministry and ARECOMS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The quota regime, aimed at lifting prices from multi-year lows, has already tightened supply to Chinese refiners and electric vehicle battery makers, pushing cobalt hydroxide prices up more than 80% since February when Congo imposed an initial ban on exports.

Benchmark cobalt last traded around $24 a lb ($52,910 a ton), up from $16 in August and a nine-year low of $10 in February when the ban began.

China, which controls about 70–75% of global cobalt refining capacity and supplies major companies, including automakers Tesla and BYD and battery maker CATL, depends on Congo for feedstock, making any export delay a threat to EV and battery supply chains.

China is unlikely to see cobalt shipments from Congo’s new export quota before April, a veteran Chinese analyst said, citing slow local government procedures and poor road infrastructure hampering transport.

(By Ange Kasongo, Amy Ly and Maxwell Akalaare Adombila; Editing by Barbara Lewis)