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DR Congo Cobalt Export Quotas Prompt Production Changes by Major Miners
DR Congo's cobalt export quotas have led major producers to adjust operations, including reducing output or prioritizing other metals. Glencore reported a 39% drop in cobalt production in the first quarter of 2026. Other companies like CMOC and Eurasia Resources Group have adopted strategies to manage quotas while maintaining or expanding output in certain areas.
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DR Congo, which supplies over 70% of global cobalt from mines, introduced export quotas late last year to increase value from its resources and reduce illegal flows. The quotas followed a period of frozen shipments and aim to stabilize the market for the mineral used in batteries.
Prices had fallen to a nine-year low of $22,000 per metric ton in 2025 before more than doubling to $57,000 per metric ton by December.
Glencore, a London-listed company, reported that its cobalt output decreased 39% to 5,800 tons in the first three months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. The company stated this was intentional to stay within its 2026 export quota of 22,800 tons.
Glencore has shifted to prioritize copper production, which increased by 19% in the period. The company explained that its assets in DR Congo now focus on copper as existing cobalt inventories meet near-term quota levels. This approach avoids producing cobalt that cannot be exported immediately.
Glencore is based in Switzerland and operates as a major mining firm.
CMOC, a China-based company and the world's largest cobalt supplier, plans to maintain high cobalt output levels despite the quotas. The company announced at a shareholder meeting last week that it would produce up to 120,000 tons from its DR Congo operations in 2026, against an export quota of 31,200 tons.
CMOC cited high ore grades and low costs as reasons to continue production, with plans to stockpile excess material. Eurasia Resources Group, a Luxembourg-based miner with a 40% stake held by the Kazakh government, reduced its cobalt hydroxide output by 70% to 5,700 tons in 2025.
