Zimbabwe Bans Raw Lithium Exports

Zimbabwe, Africa's largest lithium producer, has imposed an immediate ban on the export of all raw lithium minerals and concentrates. This move, part of Zimbabwe's resource nationalism policies, aims to promote domestic value addition and processing. The ban has caused a significant surge in Lithium prices on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange, with the most-traded lithium carbonate contract climbing over 6%. This has heightened concerns over raw material supply security, especially for Chinese mining groups like Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine Resources, which have heavily invested in Zimbabwe's lithium sector and rely on its exports. The timing is critical as global demand for energy storage systems and electric vehicles has already been driving a rally in Lithium prices since mid-2025. While exports of intermediate products like lithium sulphate are unaffected, the ban introduces considerable uncertainty into the global Lithium market.