HARARE, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's lithium exports rose to 240,826 tonnes valued at 178.64 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2026, up from 224,610 tonnes worth 84.19 million dollars during the same period in 2025, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) said Wednesday.
The MMCZ, a state-owned enterprise that markets all mineral resources except gold and silver, said that lithium recorded a strong revenue performance driven by higher global prices, despite a government ban on lithium concentrate exports imposed in February.
According to the MMCZ, Zimbabwe had initially targeted exporting 304,000 tonnes of lithium concentrates during the first quarter. As Africa's top lithium producer, the country suspended raw mineral and lithium concentrate exports in February to promote local value addition and beneficiation of the minerals to maximize value retention.
Nomusa Jane Moyo, MMCZ's general manager, said the ban has solidified Zimbabwe's strategic influence over the global battery supply chain through domestic processing.
"The shift to processed products is projected to drive lithium export revenues beyond one billion U.S. dollars," Moyo said.
Total mineral sales for the quarter reached 1,288,761 tonnes valued at 983.85 million dollars, surpassing 2025 volumes by 27 percent and value by 79 percent. Moyo noted that the MMCZ is on track to meet or exceed its annual revenue projection of 3.5 billion dollars.
