Zimbabwe Bans Antimony,Tungsten Exports in Fresh Push for Local Mineral Processing

HARARE — Zimbabwe has suspended the export of antimony and tungsten, including ores and concentrates, as the Government intensifies efforts to force greater mineral beneficiation and retain more value from the country’s vast mineral resources.

According to Bloomberg,the directive, issued by the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development on July 21, orders the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) to suspend exports of the two minerals with immediate effect and until further notice.

Secretary for Mines and Mining Development Dr Thomas Utete Wushe said the decision was taken in the national interest and was consistent with Government's policy of increasing domestic processing.

“This directive has been issued in the national interest and is consistent with Government’s policy thrust on in-country value addition and beneficiation of Zimbabwe’s mineral resources,” Wushe said in the directive to MMCZ.

The order applies to antimony and tungsten , including ores and concentrates, effectively preventing the export of the minerals in their unprocessed or semi-processed forms.

The latest measure represents a further tightening of Zimbabwe's mineral-export policy, following the Government's decision earlier this year to suspend exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates.

The Ministry announced in February that exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates had been suspended with immediate effect, saying the measure had been taken in the national interest.

Government wants more value retained locally

The Government's central argument is that exporting raw minerals deprives Zimbabwe of opportunities to create jobs, develop industries, earn higher export revenues and build technological capacity around its mineral wealth.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Polite Kambamura has repeatedly said beneficiation is at the centre of the country's mining strategy.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe-China Investment Symposium in Harare in July, Kambamura revealed that  the Government wanted to transform Zimbabwe from a predominantly raw-mineral exporter into a producer of higher-value mineral products.

He said mining remained central to Zimbabwe's economic transformation, with Government placing greater emphasis on beneficiation, technology adoption and strategic international partnerships.

The minister's position is consistent with the Government's broader economic strategy under the National Development Strategy 2, which seeks to use mineral resources to drive industrialisation rather than simply generate revenue through the export of raw materials.

According to NDS2, Zimbabwe has made progress in mineral beneficiation in sectors such as lithium, iron and steel, platinum, chrome and coal, but some minerals continue to leave the country in raw form.

The strategy says greater domestic value addition could strengthen links between mining, manufacturing and services, promote technology transfer and “avoid exporting jobs.”

Kambamura: minerals must benefit Zimbabweans

The Government has also linked its beneficiation drive directly to employment and increased export earnings.

Responding to questions in the Senate in February, Kambamura said the policy was designed to ensure Zimbabweans derive greater economic benefits from their natural resources.

“The thrust of the Second Republic is to make sure that all minerals are beneficiated in the country for the benefit of Zimbabweans through the creation of employment and an increase in export receipts,” Kambamura told the Senate.

The minister said the Government was prepared to extend the policy beyond lithium to other minerals being exported without adequate beneficiation.

He cited raw granite as an example, saying an existing ban on the export of unprocessed granite had been reimplemented.

Antimony and tungsten gain strategic importance

Antimony and tungsten are considered important industrial minerals with applications across several sectors.

Antimony is used in products including batteries, flame-retardant materials and electronics, while tungsten is valued for its exceptional hardness and resistance to heat. It is widely used in cutting tools, mining equipment and aerospace and defence-related applications.

The Government's decision therefore places the two minerals within Zimbabwe's wider strategy of developing domestic industrial capacity around critical and strategic minerals.

The policy comes as international competition for minerals used in manufacturing, energy, defence and advanced technologies intensifies.

Zimbabwe is seeking to position itself not merely as a supplier of mineral resources but as a participant in the higher-value stages of mineral production.

Government had warned against exporting raw materials

Zimbabwe's policy of restricting exports of unbeneficiated minerals is not new.

Deputy Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sheila Chikomo said in April that Statutory Instrument 5 of 2020, which restricts the export of unbeneficiated raw materials, remained an important instrument for promoting domestic industrialisation.

“We are moving decisively away from being a mere exporter of raw materials to becoming a competitive exporter of high-value manufactured goods,” Chikomo said at this year's Zimbabwe International Trade Fair(ZITF).

She  added that the Government was implementing the policy to ensure that Zimbabwe's natural resources contribute to domestic industrialisation and local value creation.

“Our natural resources drive domestic industrialisation and local value creation,”.

The Government sees the policy as part of a broader industrialisation programme under NDS2, including greater integration of Zimbabwean industries into regional and continental value chains through the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Lithium ban set the precedent

The latest restrictions follow Zimbabwe's aggressive intervention in the lithium sector.

The country, which has some of Africa's largest known lithium reserves, has sought to stop the export of lithium concentrates and encourage companies to establish processing facilities locally.

The Government has argued that exporting spodumene concentrate leaves much of the value associated with refining and processing outside Zimbabwe.

In April, Zimbabwe recorded the shipment of its first consignment of lithium sulphate from the Arcadia lithium mine near Harare, marking a move towards exporting a higher-value intermediate product rather than raw concentrate.

The country's lithium policy has already attracted significant investment in domestic processing, although smaller producers have raised concerns over the cost of establishing processing facilities and access to existing processing capacity.

Government says beneficiation can transform the mining sector

The Government believes the same model can be applied to other minerals.

The Ministry of Mines and Mining Development's mandate specifically includes promoting beneficiation and value addition, attracting investment and supporting the development of the mining sector for the benefit of Zimbabweans.

There are indications that the strategy is already contributing to a shift towards higher-value mineral exports.

MMCZ General Manager Nomusa Jane Moyo said mineral exports marketed through the state-owned corporation reached US$2.532 billion in the first half of 2026, an 84 percent increase from US$1.376 billion during the same period in 2025.

Moyo attributed the growth partly to the Government's beneficiation and value-addition policies.

“The US$2.532 billion recorded demonstrates the impact of the beneficiation and value addition policy,” Moyo said, adding that MMCZ expected to surpass its annual revenue target,".