DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo has guaranteed cobalt producers will retain their full 2025 export allocations despite ongoing delays in implementing new shipment procedures that have blocked deliveries for months, Bloomberg News reported.
The Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances’ Markets (ARECOMS) confirmed companies maintain rights to ship volumes allocated through 31st December, with permitted quantities potentially transferring into 2026.
“All means are being deployed to finalise the testing phase in the coming days, which will mark the resumption of cobalt exports from the DRC,” ARECOMS said on Thursday. “The quotas from the last quarter will not be lost by mining companies.”
The nation implemented its new quota system following a February export ban designed to address oversupply and strengthen prices. Congo produces approximately three-quarters of global cobalt supply, critical for electric vehicle batteries and aerospace applications, said Bloomberg News.
Mining companies anticipated resuming shipments in mid-October, nearly two months ago, but procedural complications have prevented any exports under the new framework, it said. ARECOMS is currently testing the system with selected operators.
The regulator announced in September that miners could export just over 18,000 tons during the remainder of this year, with annual allowances of 96,600t for 2026 and 2027—less than half the country’s 2024 production.
Since the February suspension, cobalt prices have surged dramatically, with benchmark measures more than doubling whilst cobalt hydroxide values—the primary Congolese export product—have quadrupled from historically depressed levels.
“We are examining all implementation options to limit the impacts,” ARECOMS added.
