The DRC will meet miners to discuss the issue of export exemptions for copper concentrate

    Mining companies and copper and cobalt buyers have been invited to a meeting in Kinshasa next week to discuss whether there is a way to retain an exemption from an export ban that expires in September, the DRC's mining minister said on Wednesday.

    The Democratic Republic of Congo is Africa's largest copper producer.Congo banned the export of copper and cobalt concentrate in 2013 to encourage miners to start processing and refining in the country.

    But the DRC, which does not have sufficient smelting capacity, has repeatedly issued exemptions.

    A total ban would lead to a sharp drop in DRC's copper exports.

    It would also deal a heavy blow to neighbouring Zambia.Zambia processes copper and cobalt from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    "There are exceptions for some reasons," mining Minister Willy Kitobo said.Each time, we analyze the files and all the technical data. Applications are submitted for a reason."

    "On August 20, mining companies and processors interested in buying these concentrates were invited to Kinshasa to see what could be done."

    In January this year, local time on January 15, 2020, Dizwa Mining And Lualaba copper smelting project funded by China Nonferrous Metals Group jointly held the completion and production assembly in Coluvizi city, Lualaba Province, DRC.

    The government joint venture is capable of processing 400,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and producing about 120,000 tonnes of copper bubbles a year.

    But even at full capacity, the Lualaba copper smelter cannot process all of DRC's copper production.The DRC produced 765,000 tonnes of copper concentrate in the first half of this year alone, up 13.4 per cent year on year, the central bank said.

    "Our initial idea was that they would fill the Capacity of the Lualaba copper smelter and issue a waiver for the remaining capacity," says Indigo Ellis, head of Africa research at Verisk Maplecroft, a risk analysis firm.

    "But this is not a sustainable option and it is damaging to the industry and investment environment in a negative way."

    Louis Watum, chairman of the DRC Miners' chamber of Commerce, said he understood the government's desire to increase its mineral processing operations in the DRC because it would generate revenue, but he said most mining companies could not carry out smelting in the DRC because of a lack of electricity.