Samsung SDI Targets Robot and UAM Batteries, Also Prepares Sodium-Ion Battery Launch

The mining regulator of the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that the country has officially established a strategic reserve for cobalt and other critical minerals, to be operated by the market regulatory body ARECOMS, which is authorized to purchase, hold and market strategic minerals. As the world’s largest cobalt producer, the DRC accounted for around 70% of global supply last year. To counter the price slump caused by oversupply, it previously shifted from an export ban to a quota system, reserving 10% of national cobalt export volumes for state strategic use—totaling 9,600 metric tons in 2026. Any unused export quotas not shipped by companies within the deadline will be transferred to the national strategic reserve.

According to Reuters on April 16, negotiations between India and Zambia on critical mineral cooperation have stalled, mainly because Zambia has failed to provide India with firm assurances over mining rights. India had previously been allocated 9,000 square kilometers of exploration areas in Zambia for cobalt and copper, and had sent a geological team to complete sampling. It had planned to bring in private companies for development after three years of exploration. The specific reasons why Zambia is withholding guarantees on mining rights remain unclear; India is seeking to restart talks, but the outlook is uncertain. In recent years, India has been competing for critical mineral resources through government-to-government cooperation in Africa, Australia and Latin America.