The move, announced Wednesday by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Polite Kambamura, marks the country’s latest effort to tighten control over its fast-growing lithium sector.

According to The Herald, officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Mines were deployed to the Forbes crossing—Zimbabwe’s primary land link to Mozambique—where a long queue of haulage trucks formed as companies sought clarification on the new directive. Police maintained a visible presence while shipments were halted.

Minister Kambamura said the ban was introduced in the "national interest” and took effect immediately, though he did not specify transitional arrangements for existing export contracts. The government’s stated aim is to retain more value from Zimbabwe’s lithium by encouraging domestic refining and processing, potentially creating skilled jobs and boosting state revenue.

Zimbabwe is believed to hold Africa’s largest lithium reserves, and much of its output has been exported to China for conversion into battery-grade material used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The mineral is classified globally as strategic due to its role in clean-energy technologies, electronics and defense manufacturing.

Analysts say Harare’s decision mirrors a broader trend among resource-rich nations seeking to curb raw mineral exports to stimulate local industry. However, industry executives caution that developing processing capacity requires significant capital investment and stable power supplies—challenges Zimbabwe continues to confront.

The Ministry of Mines did not immediately provide detailed guidelines on implementation timelines or exemptions. Exporters and transport operators remained at the border Thursday awaiting further instructions.