Zimbabwe grants lithium export quotas to Chinese firms

Zimbabwe has issued export quotas for lithium concentrates to two Chinese mining companies, months after suspending shipments of the key battery mineral as part of efforts to tighten oversight and boost local value addition.

According to China Securities Journal, the quotas were granted to Chengxin Lithium and Sinomine Resource, both of which operate lithium mining projects in Zimbabwe.

The development comes two months after authorities halted exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates, citing alleged malpractice and revenue leakages in the sector.

In February, Zimbabwe suspended all exports of unprocessed lithium products as part of a broader policy shift aimed at encouraging domestic processing and beneficiation. However, officials later indicated that a quota system would be introduced to allow limited exports while still enforcing local value-addition requirements.

Earlier this month, authorities confirmed plans to roll out export quotas for lithium concentrate producers, requiring more processing to be done within the country before export approvals are granted.

Zimbabwe is Africa's largest lithium producer, and the mineral has become increasingly important in global supply chains for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage systems.

In 2025, the country exported 1.128 million metric tons of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate to China, accounting for about 15 percent of China's total imports of lithium concentrate.

A representative from Chengxin Lithium said the company's Zimbabwe operations have a production capacity of about 290,000 metric tons annually, adding that the quota allocated was sufficient for its operational needs.

Sinomine Resource said it received a quota of 200,000 metric tons, roughly equivalent to its monthly output in Zimbabwe, according to the report.

Market reaction in China was strong following the announcement, with shares of Chengxin Lithium hitting the 10 percent daily upper limit on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, while Sinomine Resource rose 6.6 percent.

Meanwhile, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, another major player in Zimbabwe's lithium sector, said it had not yet received any official notification from the Zimbabwean government.

The quota system signals a continued balancing act by Zimbabwe between attracting foreign investment in its lithium industry and increasing domestic beneficiation of critical minerals.