刚果(金)钴出口禁令将于下周解除

Core Insights - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will lift an 8-month cobalt export ban on October 16, 2023, due to rising cobalt prices [1] - The DRC supplies approximately 75% of the world's cobalt, and the export ban was initially implemented in February 2023 when cobalt prices fell below $10 per pound [1] - The new export quota system will allow for a limited export of over 18,000 tons for the remainder of the year, with a maximum annual export of 96,600 tons for the next two years, which is less than half of last year's production [1] Regulatory Changes - The new export quota regulations will require companies to pay a 10% royalty fee on the sales value before shipping cobalt [1] - Companies that fail to meet export quotas or violate environmental or tax regulations may have their export quotas revoked [1] Strategic Adjustments - Future export quotas may be adjusted based on mining companies' contributions to the development of strategic projects in the DRC, particularly in enhancing local high-value cobalt processing capacity [2] - A 10% "strategic quota" will be established for the next two years, which will be allocated at the discretion of the DRC's strategic mineral market regulatory agency (ARECOMS) [2] Export Quotas - ARECOMS has disclosed the export quotas for major mining companies, calculated based on their export volumes until the end of 2024 [3] - The two largest cobalt producers have been approved to export 6,500 tons and 3,925 tons, respectively, by the end of this year [3] - For compliant operators, the quotas approved for December 2025 will automatically convert into monthly quotas for 2026 [3]