The Zimbabwean government has announced an immediate and indefinite suspension of all raw mineral and lithium concentrate exports, citing widespread “malpractices and leakages” within the mining sector. The directive, issued by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development on Wednesday morning, applies to all minerals currently in transit, effectively freezing billions of dollars in trade at the country’s borders.
The sudden ban represents a dramatic acceleration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “beneficiation” policy. While the government had previously set a 2027 deadline for the cessation of lithium concentrate exports to force the development of local refineries, today’s order brings that timeline forward by nearly a year. Mines Minister Polite Kambamura told reporters in Harare that the measure was taken in the “national interest” to ensure full accountability and to halt the illegal siphoning of the country’s mineral wealth.
Zimbabwe, which holds Africa’s largest lithium reserves, has become a global focal point for the green energy transition. Major Chinese firms, including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, and Chengxin Lithium, have invested over $1 billion in the country’s lithium sector. However, the government alleges that significant volumes of high-value concentrates are being undervalued or smuggled out of the country, depriving the state of critical tax revenue and local employment opportunities.
The suspension has sent immediate shockwaves through global supply chains, as trucks carrying lithium, a vital component for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, remain grounded at the border. The Ministry stated that the ban will only be lifted once mining firms comply with new government requirements for transparency and domestic processing. While two major lithium sulfate plants are currently under construction by Bikita Minerals and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, many smaller operators currently lack the infrastructure to refine ore domestically.
This move underscores the increasing assertiveness of African nations in the “critical minerals” race. By sealing its borders to raw exports, Zimbabwe is signaling that it will no longer function as a mere quarry for foreign industries, demanding instead that value-added processing and high-tech manufacturing take place on African soil.
