African Lithium Giant to Ban Lithium Concentrates Exports from 2027

Published: Jun 18, 2025 11:29

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Polaris Energy Storage Network learned that on June 10, 2025, Zimbabwe's Minister of Mines, Winston Chitando, announced at a media briefing following a cabinet meeting that the Zimbabwean government had decided to impose a complete ban on the export of lithium concentrates starting from January 1, 2027, allowing only the departure of processed products such as lithium sulfate and above.

This policy marks Zimbabwe's use of "policy leverage" again to promote the upgrading of the mining value chain, following the ban on the export of lithium raw ore in 2022. It aims to encourage miners to establish processing and refining facilities within Zimbabwe, drive the development of local mining processing, and target the mid-to-high-end segments of the global lithium industry chain.

Data shows that the export price of Zimbabwe's lithium concentrates is approximately $5,000/mt, while the unit price of processed products such as lithium sulfate can reach $15,000/mt, representing a threefold increase in added value. Currently, the country has completed the construction of two lithium sulfate plants: Bikita Minerals, owned by Sinomine Resource Group, and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, owned by Huayou Cobalt. These plants have an annual capacity exceeding 60,000 mt, initially forming a full-chain capability from "ore → concentrates → chemicals."

According to customs data, in 2024, China imported approximately 5.25 million mt of lithium concentrates, up approximately 31% YoY, mainly from countries such as Australia, Brazil, and Zimbabwe. In April this year, China imported 623,000 mt of lithium concentrates, up 16.5% MoM. The top three import source countries were Australia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.

If the policy is successfully implemented, Zimbabwe is expected to achieve a lithium chemicals production capacity of 200,000 mt LCE/year by 2030, accounting for 7% of the global total, and extend its reach to the lithium battery assembly sector.

Please note that this news is sourced from https://news.bjx.com.cn/html/20250617/1446660.shtml and translated by SMM.

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