Zimbabwe has banned all lithium exports

[StraightEdge]

Zimbabwe bans all lithium exports | Africanews

Zimbabwe has banned all lithium exports after the government said it was losing 1.7 billion euros from exporting it as a raw mineral and not processing it into batteries in-country.

Lithium is so valuable as a component of electronic batteries - mostly for cars mobile phones and computers - that it’s known as “white gold.” The price has gone up by 1,100 percent in the past two years alone.

Zimbabwe has the largest amount of the mineral in Africa and has enough of it to supply a fifth of the world’s needs, the government says.

Whilst it’s on track to become one of the world’s largest lithium exporters, the government says it should start its own battery industry rather than allow foreign companies to dominate battery production.

If it succeeds it will mark a sea change for Zimbabwe's economy.

Like many other mineral-rich African states, it has allowed its raw minerals to be extracted by multinationals for decades without developing local industries that could process them, and create many jobs.

The Zimbabwean Ministry of Mines and Mining Development said it would also clamp down on the artisanal miners digging up lithium and smuggling the mineral across borders.

 

[Titanium100]

Pressure from uncle sam.. I can smell American traces behind this

 

[Clutch]

Excellent move by Zimbabwe. Why be a 3rd world country selling rocks (unprocessed natural resources) while others get rich...???

All resources rich nations should be producing higher value products at home and creating jobs and wealth for their citizens....

 

[Skull and Bones]

Value addition is the key, no point exporting rocks by tonnes when they can export processed lithium. This will bring in massive international investments into Zimbabwe.

 

[JohnyD]

they can have their on Saudi Aramco of next gen..

 

[silverox]

Policies that violate economic laws and national realities always lead to disaster,

zimbabwe doesn't have the skills, the capital, the qualified workers,

small African countries have been doing this for decades，Keep tormenting themself

 

[jamahir]

Policies that violate economic laws and national realities always lead to disaster,

zimbabwe doesn't have the skills, the capital, the qualified workers,

small African countries have been doing this for decades，Keep tormenting themself

As if China developed without the help of USSR and the West.

 

[TNT]

Mostly 3rd world countries export raw materials on pennies. The leaders are corrupt and allow it if paid by multinationals.

 

[StraightEdge]

Export ban means Chinese firms will have to build plants in Zimbabwe to process lithium | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

Lithium prices have surged by about 1,100 per cent to a record in the past two years, with supply struggling to keep up with high demand. Lithium carbonate spot prices in China – the world’s biggest electric-vehicle market – climbed to a record US$84,000 per tonne in November

In the past year, three Chinese companies – Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group and Chengxin Lithium Group – have acquired lithium projects in Zimbabwe worth a combined US$679 million

The battery maker told the South China Morning Post in September that it was investing US$300 million to develop the mine with an aim to expand production for the electric-vehicle market. The company said it would process first-line lithium concentrates of spodumene and petalite in the first phase.
“We are not going to export raw ore,” Huayou Cobalt said.

Meanwhile, Chengxin Lithium spent US$77 million on a deal last year that includes mining rights in the largely unexplored Sabi Star lithium and tantalum mine project in eastern Zimbabwe. A groundbreaking ceremony was held there earlier this month for a US$130 million lithium processing plant.

“In reality the ban is meaningless simply because there is no political will to curb illicit mineral trade in Zimbabwe,” Moyo said, adding that it was being carried out by “military businessmen and women, senior government officials and politically exposed persons”.
“The law enforcement agencies have their hands tied by the very fact that the gamekeepers are actually the poachers themselves.”

I must say excellent business done by the Chinese overall. I don't think any 'free' lithium mines available in the world right now.

 

[Indos]

 

[313ghazi]

Good for them - if more developing countries thought like this there would be less poverty.

 

[Indos]

Good for them - if more developing countries thought like this there would be less poverty.

The reason developing countries still exporting raw material is because they dont have supporting industries to absorb the material.

The ban should be done gradually or all of the mining industries will be collapse. Indonesia first announce its raw material ban in 2009, but the firm execution of the ban only happens for nickel since 2020.

There should be preparation before the ban, Indonesia also has made announcement on the ban of bauxite in late December 2022 with execution in June 2023. Other raw material that is prepared for the ban is tin, gold and copper, the preparation for that has been on going since 2009 and in 2025 we are likely to ban copper, tin, and gold export. Smelters industry to process those raw material has already been prepared to absorb all of them starting in 2025.

We cannot just announce ban without any preparation for the supporting industries to absorb it.

 

[Beast]

As if China developed without the help of USSR and the West.

When is China as africa?

Zimbabwe bans all lithium exports | Africanews

Zimbabwe has banned all lithium exports after the government said it was losing 1.7 billion euros from exporting it as a raw mineral and not processing it into batteries in-country.

Lithium is so valuable as a component of electronic batteries - mostly for cars mobile phones and computers - that it’s known as “white gold.” The price has gone up by 1,100 percent in the past two years alone.

Zimbabwe has the largest amount of the mineral in Africa and has enough of it to supply a fifth of the world’s needs, the government says.

Whilst it’s on track to become one of the world’s largest lithium exporters, the government says it should start its own battery industry rather than allow foreign companies to dominate battery production.

If it succeeds it will mark a sea change for Zimbabwe's economy.

Like many other mineral-rich African states, it has allowed its raw minerals to be extracted by multinationals for decades without developing local industries that could process them, and create many jobs.

The Zimbabwean Ministry of Mines and Mining Development said it would also clamp down on the artisanal miners digging up lithium and smuggling the mineral across borders.

Better sell it now while it still worth money....

https://news.metal.com/newscontent/101556644/Sodium-ion-batteries-released-by-CATL-potentially-threats-to-Li-ion-batteries/

Sodium-ion batteries released by CATL, potentially threats to Li-ion batteries