Govt to Ban Lithium Concentrate Exports by 2027, Pushing for Battery-Grade Processing

The Government is set to enforce a total ban on the export of lithium concentrates by January 2027 as the country takes bold steps to ramp up value addition and position itself within the global battery supply chain.

Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando announced the development during a post cabinet press briefing, saying the government is determined to ensure the country benefits more significantly from its vast lithium reserves.

“With respect to lithium, all lithium players, first and foremost, the export of lithium ores was banned by government and at the moment all exports are in the form of lithium concentrates,” Chitando said.

He noted that two major producers — Bikita Minerals and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe — are currently setting up plants to process lithium concentrates into lithium sulphate, a critical component in battery manufacturing.

“We do have two major players, being Bikita and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe, who are in the process of establishing lithium sulphate plants. These are value addition facilities which will value add from lithium concentrates to lithium sulphate,” Chitando said.

Lithium sulphate is a precursor to the lithium hydroxide or carbonate used in electric vehicle batteries and other energy storage technologies.

Chitando said the country is now focusing on higher-level processing to extract greater economic value.

“And among its other uses, lithium sulphate is a direct input into battery making. We are moving as a country towards producing or upgrading ……If you want to specify that it’s lithium, we are moving to a stage where we are upgrading our lithium production, where we will have sulphate, which among its other uses is a direct input into battery making,” he said.

The upcoming 2027 ban is part of a broader strategy to localise more of the mineral value chain.

Zimbabwe, home to some of Africa’s largest hard rock lithium deposits, has become a key source of the mineral amid rising global demand driven by the clean energy transition.

“So, because of that capacity which is now in the country, the export of all lithium concentrates will be banned from January 2027. So come January 2027, no player will be allowed to export lithium concentrates,” said Minister Chitando.