Zimbabwe's lithium exports increased by 2.3 times in the first half of the year

According to Reuters, quoted by Miningweekly, on July 30th, Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube revealed that in the first half of 2026, the country's lithium product exports reached US$ 782 million, 2.3 times higher than US$ 237 million in the same period last year.

This battery mineral accounted for about 12% of Zimbabwe's total mineral exports in the first half of the year, only behind gold and platinum group metals.

Thanks to the commissioning of the first high value-added lithium sulfate plant invested by China mining enterprises in April, the proportion of lithium export income in Zimbabwe is expected to increase.

From January 2027, Zimbabwe will ban the export of lithium concentrate.

According to the semi-annual budget review report of Zimbabwe's Ministry of Finance, the total amount of lithium products is expected to reach 2.14 million tons in 2026, slightly lower than the output of 2.2 million tons last year.

Earlier, Zimbabwe temporarily stopped the export of lithium concentrate in February on the grounds that some exporters had illegal acts.

Zimbabwe's national mineral export regulator said that in 2025, the country's export volume of lithium mineral products was 1.13 million tons. The official output data in 2025 shows that the mine has a huge inventory.

source: https://geoglobal.mnr.gov.cn/zx/kydt/zhyw/202608/t20260804_10286887.htm