DRC Bans Copper and Cobalt Concentrate Exports in Major Value-Addition Push

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has banned exports of copper and cobalt concentrates in a major escalation of its drive to force domestic processing and retain more value from its vast mineral resources, according to a new government order.

The June 29th order, signed by Mines Minister Louis Kabamba Watum, Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya, and Economy Minister Daniel Mukoko Samba, states that “the export of copper and cobalt concentrates is prohibited.” The ban takes effect immediately, while a new by-product tax regime has a three-month transition period. The Mines Minister may grant one-year export waivers under strategic circumstances.

The DRC is the world’s largest cobalt producer and second-largest copper supplier globally. The mining sector accounts for roughly half of the country’s GDP, estimated at $10.9 billion.

Most of the DRC’s copper already leaves the country in refined form, primarily as cathodes. Official figures for the first quarter of 2026 show exports of 696,725 tonnes of copper cathodes compared to just 53,926 tonnes of copper concentrates. Analysts said the ban is therefore unlikely to severely disrupt most mining companies, since the bulk of copper and cobalt is already processed domestically.

The new order supersedes a previous 2023 regulation and its exemptions, and introduces a broader set of rules covering mineral exports and the taxation of mining by-products. Similar restrictions were implemented in 2013, 2019, and 2023, often accompanied by temporary authorisations when local processing capacity was limited.

Major operators in the DRC include China’s CMOC, the world’s largest cobalt producer, Glencore, Huayou Cobalt, Zijin Mining, Ivanhoe Mines, and Eurasian Resources Group.

The DRC’s move reflects a growing continental pattern. Guinea has banned bauxite raw exports, Zimbabwe has restricted lithium ore shipments, and Tanzania has moved against unprocessed gold. The policy aims to incentivise mining companies to market and export higher-value processed mineral products rather than unrefined concentrates, building industrial capacity and retaining economic value in the countries where the minerals are extracted rather than the countries where they are refined.

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