The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has officially resumed exports of cobalt after a 10-month halt that began in early 2025, the country’s finance minister confirmed. The suspension was initially introduced to curb falling global prices and to assert greater control over the metal’s export market—given the DRC’s position as the world’s top producer of cobalt.

Cobalt, a key ingredient in lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones, electric vehicles, and other technologies, saw its price slide amid oversupply and weaker demand earlier in the year. By cutting exports, Kinshasa sought to lift global prices and retain “national sovereignty over raw materials,” according to Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba. Since the ban, cobalt prices more than doubled from about US$22,000 to around US$54,000–$55,000 per ton, evidence of the policy’s market impact.

The resumption of exports comes with evolving regulations. Earlier in late 2025, the government replaced the full ban with a quota-based export system to manage supply while aiming to sustain fiscal revenues and market stability. Under that framework, quotas were allocated for late-2025 shipments and are planned annually for 2026–2027, though exporters initially faced administrative delays on shipments under the new rules.