Zimbabwe has suspended exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrate, the mines ministry announced on Wednesday, in a move to tighten oversight of materials vital to clean-energy technologies and defence industries.
The ban takes immediate effect, applies to all raw minerals already in transit, and will remain in force until further notice, the ministry said.
“Government expects cooperation of the mining industry on this measure which has been taken in the national interest,” Mines Minister Polite Kambamura stated.
The global race to secure rare earths and other strategic minerals — essential for smartphones, green energy systems, military equipment and other technologies — has driven producing nations to strengthen supply chain controls.
Zimbabwe, which holds Africa’s largest lithium reserves, had initially planned to begin the lithium concentrate export ban in January 2027 to encourage local processing and refining. The country currently exports much of its lithium to China for conversion into battery-grade materials.
Mining remains Zimbabwe’s second-largest contributor to GDP at 14.3 percent, after manufacturing, according to World Bank data.
