Winston Chitando following the export ban said: “No lithium-bearing ores, or unbeneficiated lithium whatsoever, shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another country except under the written permit of the minister.”.
The directive excludes mining companies which build processing plants, deputy mining minister Polite Kambamura said.
He told Quartz that if Zimbabwe continues to export raw lithium then it shall go nowhere.
“We want to see lithium batteries being developed in the country.
Zimbabwe is on track to become one of the world’s largest lithium exporters and the government expects that it will meet 20% of the world’s total demand for lithium when it fully exploits all known lithium resources.
Lithium is the new gold as the world shifts to clean energy, especially in the field of electric vehicles.
The demand for lithium has increased and compared to 2021 its price has soared by more than 180%. »