The cobalt export suspension from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will expire on October 15. The restriction, imposed in February, extended in June and again on Sunday, had a profound impact on the market price of battery metal, which recovered over 60% since February.

Per Bloomberg's report, the officials in Kinshasa will replace the blanket ban with a quota-based system aimed at curbing oversupply without halting shipments entirely. The new system will launch on October 16, with miners shipping a maximum of 18,000 tons this year, and 96,600 tons in each 2026 and 2027. For comparison, the country produced nearly 220,000 tons in 2024.

Congo, which supplies more than 70% of the world's cobalt and 80% of total refined output, introduced the ban after prices fell to a nine-year low near $10 per pound early in 2025. Oversupply ...