Congo adds lithium to strategic minerals list, placing it in higher tax bracket
2026-06-01 11:34:26 [Print]
The Democratic Republic of Congo's lithium miners may soon face triple royalty payments, following government approval to add several metals to its list of strategic minerals.
Tantalum, niobium, tungsten, uranium, and rare earths were also included in the list through a decree approved by the country's council of ministers on Friday, according to a video posted on the mines ministry's X account.
Under Congo's mining code, strategic minerals are subject to a 10% royalty rate, compared with the standard 3.5% applied to non-ferrous metals. Cobalt, germanium, and colombo-tantalite (coltan) were already on the list.
Congo is home to one of the world's largest hard-rock lithium deposits, located in its southeastern region, where mining operations began for the first time this year.
China's Zijin Mining Group Co. is scheduled to commission its Manono lithium project in June, while KoBold Metals Co. launched what it calls the world's largest lithium exploration project in April.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Congo is the world's leading source of tantalum, which is extracted from coltan and used in portable electronics. The mineral is primarily mined by hand in the country's eastern provinces, a region also rich in tungsten and niobium.
Tantalum, niobium, tungsten, uranium, and rare earths were also included in the list through a decree approved by the country's council of ministers on Friday, according to a video posted on the mines ministry's X account.
Under Congo's mining code, strategic minerals are subject to a 10% royalty rate, compared with the standard 3.5% applied to non-ferrous metals. Cobalt, germanium, and colombo-tantalite (coltan) were already on the list.
Congo is home to one of the world's largest hard-rock lithium deposits, located in its southeastern region, where mining operations began for the first time this year.
China's Zijin Mining Group Co. is scheduled to commission its Manono lithium project in June, while KoBold Metals Co. launched what it calls the world's largest lithium exploration project in April.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Congo is the world's leading source of tantalum, which is extracted from coltan and used in portable electronics. The mineral is primarily mined by hand in the country's eastern provinces, a region also rich in tungsten and niobium.
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