- Zimbabwe's Lithium Exports Surge: Exported 586,197 metric tons of spodumene concentrate in H1 2025
- Lithium sulphate is a key intermediate for producing battery-grade materials like lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate
- Despite increased lithium volumes, earnings from lithium exports dropped by approximately 24%
Harare -Zimbabwe has recorded an increase in exports of Lithium spodumene concentrate, exporting 586,197 metric tons in the first half of 2025, a 30% rise from the 451,824 tons recorded during the same period in 2024, according to data released by the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ).
The growth comes against the backdrop of a 90% slump in global lithium prices, which have plummeted from highs of over US$80,000 per ton in late 2022 to just US$8,450 per ton by June 2025.
The export performance highlights the resilience of Zimbabwe’s lithium industry, which has continued to attract significant foreign direct investment despite unfavorable market conditions.
Since 2021, Chinese firms including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, Chengxin Lithium Group, Yahua Group, and Tsingshan Holdings have collectively invested more than US$1.4 billion into Zimbabwe’s lithium sector.
These investments have rapidly transformed the country into a key player in the global battery minerals supply chain. Huayou, which acquired the Arcadia lithium project in 2022, has emerged as one of the largest exporters, accounting for nearly 400,000 tons of concentrate shipments in 2024 alone.
The company has since embarked on constructing a 50,000-tonne-per-annum lithium sulphate processing plant aimed at increasing in-country beneficiation. Similarly, Sinomine, which operates the historic Bikita mine, has announced a US$500 million investment to establish a lithium sulphate plant on site.
These facilities produce lithium sulphate an essential intermediate in the production of high purity battery grade materials such as lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate.
According to the MMCZ, the country’s total mineral export revenues declined to US$1.4 billion in the first half of 2025, down from US$1.56 billion during the same period in 2024, despite a 27% increase in overall export volumes.
The drop is largely attributed to falling commodity prices, particularly lithium, where spodumene concentrate export volumes surged, but earnings fell by approximately 24%.
In 2023, lithium alone generated over US$209 million in export revenue during the first nine months up from US$70 million in 2022 underscoring how sharply price pressures have undercut revenue growth, even as production scales up.
Despite the ongoing price retreat, MMCZ remains largely optimistic, driven by strong expectations of long-term demand from electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and renewable energy storage sectors.
The agency expects prices to stabilize and recover in the medium term as the market absorbs excess supply and demand for battery raw materials accelerates.
The Zimbabwean government is also playing an active role in reshaping the industry. After banning the export of unprocessed lithium ore in 2022, authorities plan to extend the ban to lithium concentrates by 2027.
This policy aims to promote domestic value addition and industrialisation by requiring miners to establish local processing plants, thereby increasing the sector’s contribution to GDP and creating skilled jobs.
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