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The government of Zimbabwe has suspended the export of all raw minerals and lithium concentrates with immediate effect, citing alleged malpractices and revenue leakages in the sector.
In a statement issued on Wednesday as reported by Reuters, the Ministry of Mines announced that the ban applies to all minerals, including those currently in transit, and will remain in force until further notice.
“Government expects cooperation of the mining industry on this measure which has been taken in the national interest,” the ministry said.
Authorities added that the move reinforced Government’s commitment to in-country value addition, beneficiation, compliance and greater accountability in the exportation of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources.
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In a February 17 letter addressed to the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, the ministry indicated that export procedures would be realigned amid concerns over “continued malpractices during the exportation of minerals.”
“This review is part of a broader effort to curb leakages and enhance efficiency within our systems,” the ministry stated.
The decision accelerates Zimbabwe’s long-standing plan to restrict exports of lithium concentrates, which had previously been scheduled to take effect in 2027 as part of efforts to boost domestic mineral processing.
Africa’s top producer of lithium exported 1.128 million metric tonnes of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate in the year ended December 2025, an 11 percent increase from the previous year.
The southern African nation has significantly expanded spodumene output in recent years, driven largely by investments from Chinese mining firms such as Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, Chengxin Lithium Group and Yahua Group.
Most of the lithium concentrate is exported to China for further processing into battery-grade materials.
However, Harare has intensified calls for greater domestic beneficiation to capture more value from the global transition to cleaner energy technologies.
Recently, Huayou completed construction of a US$400 million processing plant in Zimbabwe to convert lithium concentrates into lithium sulphate — an intermediate product that can be refined into battery-grade materials such as lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate.
The latest export suspension signals a firmer stance by the Zimbabwean Government as it seeks to tighten oversight, plug revenue leakages and accelerate local processing within its fast-growing lithium sector.
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