HARARE, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) — Zimbabwe’s lithium exports have grown tremendously over the years, rising from 1.8 million U.S. dollars in 2018 to 70 million dollars in 2022, Mines and Mining Development Minister Zhemu Soda said Wednesday.
He said in the first nine months of this year, Zimbabwe’s lithium exports totaled 209 million dollars.
“The demand for materials used to manufacture lithium-ion batteries has increased dramatically,” Zhemu said at a mining conference in Bulawayo, the country’s second-largest city. “Due to this demand, new investors, both local and foreign, have entered the sector to mine, process and export lithium and battery minerals from Zimbabwe.”
He said the Zimbabwean government is working hard to move lithium and battery mineral products up the value chain through policy and legislative reforms.
Last December, the Zimbabwean government banned the export of raw lithium to encourage investment in local processing facilities. It also approved a lithium ore policy to consolidate the country’s beneficiation strategy.
Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserves in Africa and is among the top lithium producers in the world.
