• Zimbabwe has imposed a ban on raw mineral exports, including lithium concentrate.
• Chinese group Sichuan Yahua has launched construction of a lithium sulfate plant at its Kamativi mine.
• The government is pushing for higher-value local processing in a sector that generated $571 million in 2025 exports.

Zimbabwe’s push to capture more value from its lithium resources is gaining momentum after the government imposed a ban on the export of raw minerals, including lithium concentrate.

Late last week, Chinese industrial group Sichuan Yahua announced the start of construction on a lithium sulfate production plant at its Kamativi mine. The announcement came just hours after authorities in Harare enacted an embargo on exports of unprocessed minerals, targeting materials that had until now been shipped abroad directly from mine sites.

The company did not disclose the plant’s planned production capacity or the size of the investment. However, the project follows similar lithium sulfate facilities previously announced by Chinese firms Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sinomine, which operate the Arcadia and Bikita mines, respectively.

Lithium sulfate is a higher-value product obtained by refining lithium concentrate. It is a key intermediate used to produce battery-grade materials such as lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide.

Sichuan Yahua’s move aligns with Zimbabwe’s broader strategy to accelerate domestic processing of lithium concentrate into lithium sulfate. Mines Minister Polite Kambamura reiterated that objective in the statement confirming the export ban’s entry into force.

According to international media reports, the company believes the measure may be temporary and primarily aimed at curbing illegal exports. It expects to resume shipments within about two weeks.

Authorities have not yet specified how long the suspension will last. A meeting with industry players is already scheduled to clarify new regulatory requirements. It remains unclear how the measures will affect the timeline of ongoing local processing projects.

With $571 million in export revenues in 2025, lithium ranks among Zimbabwe’s leading mining products, alongside platinum group metals, gold, and diamonds.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou