Zimbabwe has granted Sinomine Resource Group an additional export quota for 300,000 metric tons of lithium concentrate, giving the Chinese miner more room to ship material from its Bikita operation before the country tightens restrictions on raw lithium exports.

Sinomine received the new quota in July, following an initial 200,000-ton allocation approved in April, according to the company’s half-year report.

The move comes as Zimbabwe works to control lithium exports while pushing mining companies to process more of the mineral inside the country.

Zimbabwe, Africa’s leading lithium producer, introduced export quotas in April after temporarily stopping concentrate shipments between February and April over alleged malpractice and leakages.

The government plans to prohibit lithium concentrate exports from January 2027 as it seeks to capture more value from the country’s growing battery minerals industry.

Sinomine expands lithium processing

Sinomine operates two processing plants at Bikita with a combined capacity of 600,000 tons of spodumene and petalite concentrates a year.

A recent upgrade is expected to raise annual spodumene concentrate production capacity to 400,000 tons, according to the company.

The miner is also building a lithium sulphate plant at Bikita with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons.

The facility is expected to be completed in mid-2027 and would allow the company to produce a higher-value lithium product in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe pushes local lithium processing

Zimbabwe introduced lithium export quotas in April after temporarily halting concentrate shipments in February amid concerns over alleged malpractice and leakages.

The government has since pressed miners to expand local processing rather than ship concentrates overseas.

Lithium sulphate can be processed into battery-grade materials such as lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate.

Zimbabwe’s policy is aimed at encouraging more processing inside the country as demand for lithium grows with the expansion of electric vehicles and energy storage.

Chinese firms lead Zimbabwe’s lithium sector

Chinese companies have become major investors in Zimbabwe’s lithium industry, with firms including Sinomine, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Sichuan Yahua developing mines and processing facilities.

Their investments have helped make Zimbabwe an important source of lithium concentrate for Chinese processors.

Sinomine Resource Group is a Chinese mining and processing company with operations in lithium and other mineral resources.

Its Bikita mine is one of Zimbabwe’s key lithium projects, supplying concentrate to the company’s processing operations in China while it expands processing capacity at the mine.

The additional quota gives Sinomine more room to export concentrate before Zimbabwe’s planned 2027 restrictions take effect.

At the same time, the company’s investment in lithium sulphate production shows how miners are adapting to the government’s push for greater local processing.