Zimbabwe Mines Minister Kambamura said the government has rejected the lithium
industry's request to postpone a lithium concentrate export ban set to take
effect on January 1 until at least March, and that the January 1 timetable
remains. Harsh measures were first introduced in February to force more domestic
value-added processing and curb illegal exports of metallic lithium for EV
batteries; export restrictions were partly eased in April, but the ban is
planned for formal implementation in early 2027. The Zimbabwe Lithium Producers
Association had sought a multi-month grace period; Kambamura said producers were
notified as early as June 2025 and must comply with the policy.
