Zimbabwe rejects lithium export ban delay

Zimbabwe will press ahead with its planned ban on lithium concentrate exports from January 1, 2027, with Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura ruling out any extension despite calls from producers for more time to complete processing plants.

Speaking during a technical visit to the Arcadia lithium sulphate plant, Kambamura said the government remained committed to the original deadline and would not grant a waiver.

"For now, we are not talking about the waiver. We are still sticking to the 1st of January," he told reporters.

Lithium producers had appealed for the deadline to be pushed to around mid-2027, arguing that construction of lithium sulphate processing facilities required under Zimbabwe's mineral beneficiation strategy was taking longer than anticipated. The request was made by the country's Lithium Producers' Association during a recent mining conference in Victoria Falls.

However, Kambamura said mining companies had already been given sufficient notice to prepare for the policy shift.

"The producers were given a notice in June 2025. This is an 18-month period to January 2027. So the February ban was just a reminder, a thing to say, hey, we are still on with the notice that we gave you. So we are not going to change everything. They have to run with pace. They have to construct a lithium sulphate plant," he said.

The export ban forms part of Zimbabwe's broader strategy to increase value addition in the mining sector. It follows the 2022 prohibition on exports of unprocessed lithium ore, with the government now seeking to ensure that only lithium sulphate and other higher-value processed products leave the country.

Officials argue that the policy will enable Zimbabwe to capture more value from its vast lithium resources, which are among the largest in Africa, instead of exporting raw materials for processing abroad.

Government data shows Zimbabwe exported 1.128 million metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate in 2025, representing an 11 percent increase from the previous year. However, export earnings remained largely unchanged at approximately US$513.8 million as declining global lithium prices offset higher export volumes.

The figures have strengthened the government's position that exporting raw or semi-processed minerals limits the country's ability to maximise returns from its natural resources.

Chinese mining companies, including Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine and Yahua Group, have invested billions of dollars in Zimbabwe's lithium sector since 2021. However, only Huayou's Arcadia project has advanced to producing lithium salts, while several other beneficiation plants remain under construction or at the feasibility stage.

Industry executives estimate Zimbabwe could produce up to 344,000 tonnes of lithium sulphate annually by 2030 if planned processing investments are completed.

Despite industry's concerns over the tight implementation timeline, Kambamura said the government would not backtrack on its beneficiation agenda.

"We are leaving no stone unturned so that the government will continue to benefit immensely from our lithium resources," he said.