DR Congo Ends Export Ban

The Democratic Republic of Congo will end its 7-month ban on cobalt exports (intended to reduce the glut on global supply) on October 17th, replacing it with quotas.  

Market intelligence firm Project Blue said the move will push the cobalt market from "surplus to shortage" given the demand from electric vehicles.

A great deal of cobalt supply in Congo comes from unregulated artisanal mining. This creates compliance and traceability issues for global buyers. This has also been the subject of the book Cobalt Red, which asserts that industrial and artisanal mining output are inextricably intertwined.

Cobalt's specific role in the energy transition is in the cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.