DR Congo to create strategic cobalt, coltan and germanium reserve to stabilise critical minerals market

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plans to establish a strategic reserve of cobalt, coltan and germanium, key critical minerals used in electric vehicle batteries and semiconductor manufacturing, as part of efforts to increase market leverage and stabilise supply chains.

Patrick Luabeya, head of the DRC’s Strategic Mineral Substances Market Regulation and Control Authority, said the measure, approved by a council of ministers decree, aims to “control and balance” the market rather than speculate on prices.

The initiative follows earlier cobalt export restrictions and quota systems, and comes amid wider global moves by the US and EU to build critical mineral stockpiles amid supply chain vulnerabilities and Chinese export controls.

  • Strategic reserve to cover cobalt, coltan and germanium
  • Policy aims to prevent oversupply and stabilise prices
  • Builds on export quotas and previous cobalt restrictions
  • Reflects global competition for EV and semiconductor minerals

ℹ️ Financial Times

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A conveyor belt loaded with chunks of raw cobalt at a plant in Lubumbashi. Last year’s imposition of a cobalt ban by the DR Congo, and the subsequent introduction of a quota system, shook the market and drove up prices © Samir Tounsi/AFP/Getty Images
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DR Congo to create strategic cobalt, coltan and germanium reserve to stabilise critical minerals market
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