Zimbabwe escalated a phased lithium export control regime, moving from a 2022 ban on raw ore (Statutory Instrument 213 of 2022) to an indefinite, immediate suspension of all raw mineral and lithium concentrate exports on 25 February 2026 — ten months ahead of a previously planned January 2027 concentrate ban. The government says the acceleration targets smuggling and mineral leakage while forcing miners to build domestic lithium sulphate processing capacity. Three Chinese-led refinery projects (Huayou Cobalt’s Arcadia mine, Sinomine’s Bikita Minerals, and others) are central to whether the beneficiation strategy succeeds.
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