The DRC's strategic minerals regulator ARECOMS announced on 29 June 2026 that all cobalt export quotas allocated for the first half of the year — January through June — that remain unused as of the 30 June deadline will be automatically forfeited, with no provision for carryforward, and reassigned to its centrally managed "strategic quota." The notice, seen by Reuters, formalises what ARECOMS describes as a compliance enforcement action. Operators that failed to ship their allocated volumes by the deadline will have those volumes deducted from their initial allocations.
The DRC introduced cobalt export quotas in early 2025, following an export moratorium of approximately seven to ten months that began in late 2024. In March 2026, ARECOMS extended first-quarter quotas through the end of June alongside second-quarter allocations — a grace period that, as of 30 June, has now expired. The annual export framework sets a total cap of 96,600 metric tonnes of cobalt for both 2026 and 2027. Of that total, 87,000 metric tonnes are distributed among major producers on a pro-rata basis tied to historical export volumes. The remaining 9,600 metric tonnes are earmarked directly for the state's strategic reserve, managed by ARECOMS.
Three companies dominate the allocation structure. CMOC Group was allocated approximately 6,650 metric tonnes. Glencore received approximately 3,925 metric tonnes — and reportedly secured a temporary extension earlier in the year due to logistical bottlenecks. Eurasian Resources Group is also named among the major recipients. Collectively, CMOC, Glencore, and ERG control over 60% of the total permitted export allocations across the five primary Congolese cobalt operations.
ARECOMS also warned that it retains the power to withdraw quotas entirely — not merely forfeit a tranche — from any company that fails to export allocated volumes over a sustained period, transfers quotas to third parties, processes third-party or artisanal material without authorisation, or breaches the broader regulatory framework. President Tshisekedi has publicly backed the enforcement framework with the threat of permanent export bans for violators.
The price impact has been substantial. Cobalt benchmark prices entered 2025 at approximately $21,000 per metric tonne. As of publication, they trade at approximately $57,320 per metric tonne — a rise of 160 to 167% since the DRC first locked down shipments in late 2024.
