The Democratic Republic of Congo's mineral markets regulator has set April 30 as the deadline for cobalt producers to use their unfilled fourth-quarter 2025 export quotas, warning that any unutilised volumes will be confiscated and reallocated to the country's national strategic reserve.
The Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances Markets, known as ARECOMS, said first-quarter 2026 quotas will remain valid through June 30 and may be combined with second-quarter allocations. The measures, signed by ARECOMS chair Patrick Luabeya, entered into force on March 31.
The deadlines target a substantial backlog. Cobalt shipments under the new regime have lagged allocations because of paperwork delays, infrastructure constraints and a bridge collapse on a key export route. Congo shipped roughly 48,800 metric tons of cobalt in the first quarter, against approximately 123,000 tons in the same period a year earlier, when miners frontloaded volumes ahead of the country's months-long export ban.
Industry reaction was mixed. A source at CMOC, the world's largest cobalt producer, said the timeline was adequate as the company had already loaded its entire Q4 allocation and had yet to draw on Q1 volumes. A source at the company's trading arm IXM characterised the extension as just about workable but still tight, citing limited regulatory clarity. China's Huayou Cobalt welcomed the decision.
The strategic reserve, formally established under an April 10 cabinet decree and managed by ARECOMS, authorises the state to acquire, hold and market strategic minerals. Under the broader framework, Congo — which accounted for roughly 70% of global cobalt supply in 2025 — has capped total 2026 exports at 96,600 metric tons, comprising an 87,000-tonne base allocation distributed pro rata among producers and a 9,600-tonne strategic quota at ARECOMS' discretion.
