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2027","zimbabwe-to-ban-lithium-concentrate-exports-from-2027","article/zimbabwe-to-ban-lithium-concentrate-exports-from-2027",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":556,"content":566,"excerpt":660,"featured":51,"reporter":661,"_editable":665,"component":666,"seo_title":543,"categories":667,"visibility":673,"author_company":49,"data_vis_image":674,"featured_image":678,"seo_description":660,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":681,"formattedArticleDate":682},"b4fe085b-3d0c-46b1-acbe-7cb75205d49d","2025-06-12 00:00",[550,553],{"slug":551,"name":552},"data-visualisation","Data Visualisation",{"slug":554,"name":555},"zimbabwe","Zimbabwe",[557],{"slug":558,"name":559,"content":560},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":561,"image":562,"bio":564,"linkedin":565},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":563},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/14738033ec/matthew-bird.jpeg","Matthew writes, edits and produces content for Benchmark Intelligence and Benchmark Source across the whole mine to grid supply chain. He also acts as a liaison to the press. He has a PhD in electrochemistry from the University of Nottingham.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdmatthew/",{"type":567,"content":568},"doc",[569,584,597,609,617,630,637,642,655],{"type":570,"attrs":571,"content":572},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[573,582],{"text":574,"type":575,"marks":576},"Zimbabwe’s government","text",[577],{"type":578,"attrs":579},"link",{"href":580,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":581},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/zimbabwe-africas-lithium-heartland","url",{"text":583,"type":575}," will ban lithium concentrate exports from 2027, as it pushes for greater domestic downstream development. ",{"type":570,"attrs":585,"content":586},{"textAlign":49},[587,589,595],{"text":588,"type":575},"There are five operating lithium mines in Zimbabwe, all operated by ",{"text":590,"type":575,"marks":591},"Chinese companies",[592],{"type":578,"attrs":593},{"href":594,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":581},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/africas-lithium-supply-to-treble-this-year-china-dominates-region",{"text":596,"type":575},":  Chengxin Lithium, Sinomine Resource, Huayou Cobalt, Yahua Group and Tsingshan Group. Combined these assets have a total designed capacity of 290 ktpa LCE (lithium carbonate equivalent).",{"type":598,"attrs":599},"blok",{"id":600,"body":601},"ef8b9fb0-b73c-4128-8ffb-f17e19054d81",[602],{"id":603,"_uid":604,"type":605,"_editable":606,"component":607,"fixed_height":608,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":608,"fixed_height_tablet":608},"23729239","i-4d61c40e-d9ca-462b-b49a-82aaaae2d5f0","visualisation","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-4d61c40e-d9ca-462b-b49a-82aaaae2d5f0\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","ContentFlourish","",{"type":598,"attrs":610},{"id":611,"body":612},"d0b96fb1-2b8b-47c6-a02e-747c48924838",[613],{"id":614,"_uid":615,"type":605,"_editable":616,"component":607,"fixed_height":608,"use_fixed_height":50,"fixed_height_mobile":608,"fixed_height_tablet":608},"23729923","i-2302fc53-218c-42d9-9179-2f9218605408","\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"ContentFlourish\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"i-2302fc53-218c-42d9-9179-2f9218605408\", \"id\": \"\"}-->",{"type":570,"attrs":618,"content":619},{"textAlign":49},[620,622,628],{"text":621,"type":575},"The move to ban lithium concentrates builds on Zimbabwe’s ",{"text":623,"type":575,"marks":624},"lithium ore export ban implemented in December 2022",[625],{"type":578,"attrs":626},{"href":627,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":581},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/zimbabwes-lithium-ore-export-ban-highlights-africas-lithium-potential",{"text":629,"type":575},". Similar policies enacted in 2014 and 2020 in Indonesia banning nickel ore exports have resulted in greater domestic added-value and attracted investment.",{"type":631,"attrs":632,"content":634},"heading",{"level":633,"textAlign":49},4,[635],{"text":636,"type":575},"What are Zimbabwe’s lithium processing plans?",{"type":570,"attrs":638,"content":639},{"textAlign":49},[640],{"text":641,"type":575},"Sinomine and Huayou are confirmed to be building lithium sulphate processing plants, while there are others still in the planning stage. Sinomine is targeting 30ktpa lithium sulphate capacity whilst Huayou has 50 ktpa capacity planned. ",{"type":570,"attrs":643,"content":644},{"textAlign":49},[645,647,653],{"text":646,"type":575},"Petalite concentrate grades are usually between 3.5% and 4.5%, which is lower than that of spodumene. The petalite operations of Sinomine and Huayou have been put in Care and Maintenance on the back of ",{"text":648,"type":575,"marks":649},"declining lithium prices",[650],{"type":578,"attrs":651},{"href":652,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":581},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/direct-spodumene-hedging-becomes-essential-amid-lithium-market-decoupling",{"text":654,"type":575},". Therefore, building lithium sulphate processing plants could be a win-win game for both Chinese companies and the Zimbabwe government.",{"type":570,"attrs":656,"content":657},{"textAlign":49},[658],{"text":659,"type":575},"Given the long distances and high transportation fees in Zimbabwe, processing concentrate into lithium sulphate will largely reduce the overall cost of lithium chemicals and help to improve the profitability of lithium producers.","Zimbabwe’s government will ban lithium concentrate exports from 2027, as it pushes for greater domestic downstream development. There are five operating lithium mines in Zimbabwe, all operated by Chinese companies: Chengxin Lithium, Sinomine Resource, Huayou Cobalt, Yahua Group and Tsingshan Group. Combined these assets have a total designed capacity of 290 ktpa LCE (lithium carbonate […]",[662],{"slug":558,"name":559,"content":663},{"job_title":561,"image":664,"bio":564,"linkedin":565},{"filename":563},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"b4fe085b-3d0c-46b1-acbe-7cb75205d49d\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[668,671],{"slug":669,"name":670},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":672,"name":8},"lithium","private",{"id":49,"alt":608,"name":608,"focus":608,"title":608,"source":608,"filename":675,"copyright":608,"fieldtype":676,"meta_data":677,"is_external_url":51},"https://res.cloudinary.com/benchmarkminerals/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1749740853/www-production/Social-friendly-Zimbabwes-lithium-concentrate-output-by-ore-type@2x/Social-friendly-Zimbabwes-lithium-concentrate-output-by-ore-type@2x.png?_i=AA","asset",{"alt":608,"title":608,"source":608,"copyright":608},{"id":49,"alt":608,"name":608,"focus":608,"title":608,"source":608,"filename":679,"copyright":608,"fieldtype":676,"meta_data":680,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/554e369eb1/bm-arcadia-mine-zimbabwe.jpg",{"alt":608,"title":608,"source":608,"copyright":608},"Jun 12, 2025","12th June 2025",[],[],1780500931204]