According to a report by the local media MagLeTemps of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on October 11th, the Congolese government announced the detailed implementation rules for cobalt export quotas on that day. The basic principles are as follows:

The Strategic Minerals Market Supervision Bureau of the Democratic Republic of the Congo issued Bulletin No. 005/2025 on October 10, 2025. It will officially implement the cobalt export quota management system starting from October 16, 2025, in order to regulate the export order and promote the local value-added utilization of strategic minerals.

1. Clearly define the export quotas and allocation mechanisms

According to the new regulations, the Strategic Mineral Market Supervision Bureau has formulated the basic export quota allocation plan for cobalt for the fourth quarter of 2025. Specifically, 3,625 tons will be approved for export in October, 7,250 tons in November, and 7,250 tons in December. These quotas will be calculated and allocated proportionally based on the export volumes of each enterprise over the three-year period from 2022 to 2024.

II. Strict Admission and Implementation of Standards

The detailed regulations exclude enterprises that have an export volume of less than 100 tons of cobalt in 2024, do not have their own refining facilities, or whose cobalt reserves have been exhausted. The Strategic Mineral Market Supervision Bureau emphasizes that the quotas cannot be transferred or extended for use. The unused portion will be reclaimed and included in the national strategic quota starting from January 2026. For non-compliant enterprises, the Strategic Mineral Market Supervision Bureau has the authority to revoke their quotas, especially those that handle unauthorized hand-mined ore or privately transfer the quotas.

III. Establishing National Strategic Quotas to Promote Localization of the Industrial Chain

Starting from 2026, the Strategic Mineral Market Supervision Bureau will establish national strategic quotas to support industrial and strategic projects of national significance. The aim is to extend the cobalt产业链 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo， support the development of cobalt refining， transformation and downstream manufacturing within the country， and contribute to the establishment of a local value chain.

IV. Implementation and Supervision

The Strategic Mineral Market Supervision Bureau requires that all export operations must be carried out at the designated approved border ports. When enterprises apply for export quotas, they must provide: environmental and tax compliance certificates; export data for the past three years; and relevant information certified by the mining management department.

The detailed rules are followed by a list of 21 relevant enterprises that have been approved to export cobalt by the end of 2025, along with the corresponding quota amounts.

Some analyses suggest that this move marks a crucial step taken by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in strengthening the governance of cobalt resources, optimizing the export order, and promoting industrial upgrading.

Source: Economic and Commercial Section of the Embassy of China in the Democratic Republic of the Congo