Congo Establishes Strategic Cobalt Reserve, Withholding 9,600 Tons From Global Market in 2026

Gate News message, April 16 — Congo’s state mining regulator announced on April 14 that the country has established a strategic reserve for cobalt and other critical minerals. Under a cabinet decree passed on April 10, management of the reserve was transferred to ARECOMS, the market regulator, which is now authorized to purchase, hold, and sell strategic minerals.

Congo is the world’s largest cobalt producer, accounting for approximately 70% of global supply. The cobalt is a key component in electric vehicle batteries. Under the new quota framework, Congo will set aside 10% of its national cobalt exports for strategic state purposes—meaning at least 9,600 tons of physical cobalt will be removed from circulation in 2026. Companies failing to export their allocated quotas by April 30 (for Q4 2025 allocations) or June 30 (for Q1 2026 allocations) will lose these quotas to the government’s strategic reserve.

ARECOMS stated that the strategic reserve provides the government with additional tools to intervene in the global cobalt market, complementing the existing quota system aimed at rebalancing prices. The measure represents a shift in Congo’s approach: after implementing a temporary export ban last year and transitioning to an annual quota system in October, the country now combines supply limits with strategic stockpiling. First-quarter 2026 shipments from Congo totaled approximately 48,800 tons, compared to about 123,000 tons in the same period last year, when exports were concentrated before a four-month freeze.

Major cobalt producers operating in Congo include China’s Luoyang Molybdenum (LYMF), Glencore, Eurasian Resources Group, Huayou Cobalt, and Chinese-backed Sicomines.