The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has warned that cobalt exporters violating its new quota system will face permanent exclusion, President Felix Tshisekedi said, as the world’s top producer tightens controls to curb fraud and stabilise prices.
Congo, responsible for around 70% of global cobalt production, halted exports in February after prices of the key electric battery metal hit a nine-year low. The ban will be replaced by a quota system on October 16, with miners allowed to export up to 18,125 metric tons of cobalt for the remainder of 2025, and annual caps of 96,600 tons in 2026 and 2027, according to the state minerals regulator ARECOMS.
Tshisekedi warned of “exemplary sanctions,” including permanent exclusion from the new cobalt regime for violators, as noted in cabinet meeting minutes reviewed by Reuters. Only ARECOMS is authorised to issue or revoke export quotas.
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The export freeze, extended in June, triggered force majeure declarations from Glencore and China’s CMOC Group. While Glencore supports the quota system, CMOC has opposed it. Tshisekedi said the freeze helped drive a 92% rebound in cobalt prices since March, calling the new system “a real lever to influence this strategic market” after years of “predatory strategies.”
The crackdown comes amid ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, where fighting between M23 rebels and the army has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands. A U.S.-backed peace effort suffered a setback last Friday when Congo and Rwanda failed to sign the Regional Economic Integration Framework, intended to boost investment in both countries’ mineral sectors
