DRC Expands State Control Over Geological Data as Critical-Minerals Mapping Accelerates

Zimbabwe's Ministry of Mines and Mining Development has granted small and medium-scale miners a final extension to December 31, 2026, to regularize their operations, moving the compliance cut-off from an original August 30 deadline after a request from the Zimbabwe Miners Federation. The government has stated explicitly that no further extension will be considered. Regularization requires operators to hold valid title, settle outstanding obligations to the state, and comply with environmental and safety rules attached to a claim, addressing a longstanding gap in which many small-scale operators work ground they do not formally hold. The extension landed in the same week Parliament was told that 18 suspected cases of mineral smuggling and irregular movement had been recorded between January and August 2026, totaling 2,658.88 tonnes of material, with lithium, chrome and silica dominating the tonnage. MP Bridget Nyandoro described mineral leakage as a matter of national economic security and called for stiffer penalties alongside a fully traceable, AI-supported mine-to-market tracking system. She noted the figures represent only detected cases rather than an estimate of total leakage. The Zimbabwe Artisanal Miners Association had pushed for a longer runway, requesting an extension to February 28, 2027, and warning that a deadline arriving faster than the paperwork could allow could push operators back into informality rather than draw them into the formal system. The ministry granted four months rather than the six requested, leaving the same shortage of registration capacity that contributed to the original deadline being missed. With small-scale and artisanal operations forming a substantial share of Zimbabwe's mineral output, including chrome, how many operations achieve registration between now and December will serve as the clearest test of whether the extension succeeds where the original deadline did not.

[ADC12 Price Daily Review: ADC12 spot consolidates on a strong note, futures rebound after opening lower] Today, ADC12 market quotes consolidated on a strong note overall. The SMM ADC12 price rose by 50 yuan/mt from the previous day to 24,350 yuan/mt.

SMM News, September 8: According to market rumours obtained by SMM, a major smelter in Henan recently completed a successful public tender sale for several tons of refined cadmium. Market rumours suggest the final transaction price of refined cadmium was around RMB 27,600 per ton. Market participants commented that cadmium prices are showing signs of weakness currently, with subdued buying interest from end‑users. Even so, the successful completion of this tender indicates to a certain degree that market demand is not as sluggish as expected.