Source: China News Service
China News Service, Beijing, June 11 - Harare Message: Local time on June 10, Zimbabwe's Minister of Mines Winston Chitando announced at a press conference after the cabinet meeting that the Zimbabwean government has decided to ban the export of lithium concentrate from January 2027. This move aims to promote the establishment of processing and refining facilities by various mining enterprises within Zimbabwe, driving the development of local mineral processing industry.
As one of the largest lithium producers in Africa, Zimbabwe has already banned the export of lithium ore since 2022 and has been promoting mining companies to process more within Zimbabwe.
According to New Zimbabwe News Network, Chitando revealed that there are currently two mining companies in Zimbabwe building lithium sulfate plants. "These are value-added facilities that can convert lithium concentrate into lithium sulfate, thereby increasing its value," he said.
Lithium sulfate is an intermediate product that can be refined into battery-grade materials such as lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate used in battery manufacturing.
Chitando stated that given the current production capacity in Zimbabwe, the country has decided to ban the export of lithium concentrate starting from January 2027, but will allow the export of lithium sulfate. For this reason, Chitando called on more mining companies to invest in building lithium sulfate plants in Zimbabwe or sign relevant agreements before the ban takes effect to achieve win-win cooperation.
The mining industry is one of the main pillars of Zimbabwe's economy, accounting for more than 75% of the country's export revenue. (End of article)
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514602396639576611/
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