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Zimbabwe has fast-tracked a ban on raw lithium exports after mining companies rushed to ship the mineral before the original deadline, the government said Tuesday.
The ban, which came into effect last Wednesday, covers all raw minerals and lithium concentrates until further notice.
It had at first been scheduled to start in January 2027, giving miners time to process and refine lithium locally.
“Regrettably, in the period following that announcement, we witnessed an unprecedented and unacceptable scramble,” said Information Minister Nick Mangwana after a cabinet meeting.
“Instead of preparing for value addition, some actors engaged in a frenzy of mining activity, seeking to extract and export as much raw lithium as possible before the deadline.”
The government also reported that large quantities of lithium were “illicitly stockpiled in a neighbouring country”, calling it a “plunder” of Zimbabwe’s “economic future”.
Zimbabwe is Africa’s largest lithium producer and holds some of the world’s largest reserves, according to the US Geological Survey.
Last year, the country exported 1.5 million metric tonnes of lithium concentrate, mainly to China, generating $571.6 million in government revenue, the Minerals Marketing Authority of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) said in February.
The export ban aims to encourage local processing to capture more economic value, a priority as rare earths and strategic minerals become increasingly important for batteries, green energy, and military equipment.
Critics, however, say the policy comes too late, with Zimbabwe having lost several years of potential revenue.
