DRC Bans Copper and Cobalt Concentrate Exports, Chinese Firms Unaffected

Published: Aug 8, 2026 17:03

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Market sources indicate that the DRC has issued a new administrative directive, deciding to completely ban the export of copper concentrates and cobalt concentrates. In response, a reporter called Huayou Cobalt as an investor, and a company representative stated that the ban targets primary mineral products such as "copper concentrates" and "cobalt concentrates," while Huayou Cobalt’s finished products in the DRC are crude cobalt hydroxide (a cobalt intermediate product) and electrodeposited copper (copper cathode), which are not affected by the concentrate export ban, adding that "it should be roughly the same for Chinese enterprises."

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