en.Wedoany.com Reported - Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube reported on Thursday that the country's lithium product exports reached $782 million in the first half of 2026, compared to $237 million in the same period last year.

During this half-year period, lithium contributed approximately 12% of Zimbabwe's total mineral export revenue, second only to gold and platinum group metals.

In April, the country's first plant producing high-value lithium sulfate came into operation. As the government simultaneously pushes Chinese mining companies, which dominate the lithium industry, to process locally in Zimbabwe, lithium's share of export revenue is expected to rise further.

The government plans to ban the export of lithium concentrate from January 2027. In February this year, Zimbabwe had already suspended lithium concentrate exports due to capital outflows and improper practices by some exporters.

The Ministry of Finance's half-year budget review report projects Zimbabwe's total lithium production in 2026 at 2.14 million metric tons, a slight decline from 2.2 million tons in 2025.

Zimbabwe's national mineral export agency disclosed that the country's lithium export volume in 2025 was 1.13 million tons; official production data, however, indicates considerable inventories held at mines.

Companies dominating lithium mining and processing in Zimbabwe include Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine, Chengxin Lithium Group, Sichuan Yahua, and Tsingshan Holding Group.