The Democratic Republic of Congo will lift its cobalt export ban on October 16, replacing it with an annual quota system to manage global supply.

• Miners can ship up to 18,125 tons of cobalt for the remainder of 2025, with annual caps of 96,600 tonnes in 2026 and 2027.
• The Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances’ Markets announced the new system, which is backed by Glencore but opposed by CMOC Group.
• Congo, which produced about 70% of global cobalt output last year, suspended exports in February after prices hit a nine-year low.