KINSHASA, April 16 – The Democratic Republic of Congo has established a strategic reserve for cobalt and other critical minerals, aiming to tighten state control over supply and strengthen its influence in global markets.
Under a cabinet decree adopted on April 10, management of the reserve has been assigned to ARECOMS, which is now authorized to acquire, hold, and market strategic mineral resources.
Congo, which produces about 70% of the world’s cobalt, has been actively managing supply following a price slump driven by oversupply. The country previously imposed an export ban before shifting to a quota system in late 2025.
As part of that framework, the government reserved 10% of national cobalt export volumes for strategic use, equivalent to about 9,600 metric tons in 2026. Unused export quotas will now be redirected into the state reserve, reinforcing its ability to control market flows.
Major producers operating in the country include CMOC Group Limited and Glencore, alongside other international players.
The new reserve provides the government with an additional tool to influence global cobalt supply, complementing its quota system and broader efforts to stabilize prices while boosting economic sovereignty.
Cobalt, along with coltan and germanium, was designated a strategic mineral under a 2018 decree, placing its production and export under tighter state oversight.
