Congo cobalt exporters fear losing quotas due to administrative glitch, sources say

Published: Jul 3, 2026 22:44

Save

According to an industry letter seen by Reuters, exporters have been unable to submit export declarations through the customs platform since July 1 because ARECOMS, the Democratic Republic of Congo's strategic minerals regulator, has not formally notified customs to continue processing export quotas. As a result, major producers including CMOC Group, Glencore, Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) and Huayou Cobalt have been unable to complete export procedures. Meanwhile, ARECOMS requires companies to utilize their first-half export quotas by July 5, after which any unused volumes will be withdrawn and reallocated. Industry sources estimate that around 60%–75% of companies are unlikely to meet the deadline due to administrative delays. If the issue is not resolved promptly, up to 20,000 tonnes of cobalt exports, worth approximately US$1.1 billion at current prices, could be affected. CMOC alone could lose almost all of its second-quarter export quota. SMM will continue to monitor developments.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

Common.Time.minsAgo

[SMM Anal.] H1 '26 Sulfur Industry Chain Review: Extreme Volatility Under Supply Shocks, HighLevel Consolidation Remains

The essence of this supply crunch is a "three-layered squeeze": Layer 1: Physical cutoff – the Hormuz blockade severed Middle Eastern supply, halting nearly half of global seaborne trade. Layer 2: Policy lockdown – overlapping export bans from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey blocked alternative supply sources, further tightening global tradable volumes. Layer 3: Capacity and inventory collapse – war-damaged Middle Eastern production facilities are slow to restart.

Common.Time.minsAgo

1 hour ago

Phosphorus Chemical Industry: June Sulfur Surges, Phosphate Rock Holds Firm, Fertilizers Struggle, New Materials Expand

In June 2026, the phosphorus chemical industry chain underwent a profound round of repricing under extreme cost pressures. Four keywords — "Surge, Hold, Strain, Expand" — capture the full-month landscape.

1 hour ago

Common.Time.hoursAgo

CATL Invests in CarbonScape to Accelerate Bio-Graphite Commercialization

New Zealand-based bio-graphite developer CarbonScape announced that CATL has made a strategic investment in the company. The partnership will combine CarbonScape's bio-graphite technology with CATL's industrialization expertise to accelerate large-scale deployment and support commercialization in Europe and other global markets. CarbonScape said its technology converts forestry by-products into battery-grade graphite with a target cost comparable to conventional graphite while offering a significantly lower carbon footprint.

Common.Time.hoursAgo