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 ear

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.