Congo does not see any major threat to its copper and cobalt production from the Middle East Crisis

A senior mining official said that the Democratic Republic of Congo did not expect any significant disruptions in copper and cobalt output this year because of chemical supply constraints resulting from the Middle East conflict. U.S. - Iran conflict, which began on February 28, and is largely over after a?last month interim peace treaty has halted, has caused sulfuric acid supply disruptions, an important input for copper and 'cobalt production. Zambia, a major copper and?cobalt supplier, has cut back on sulfuric acid exports in order to focus on domestic users. This has prompted some Congolese miner to consider reducing output after a record-breaking first quarter exports. Official data shows that the world's largest copper miner and top?cobalt manufacturer, Zambia, exported 823.887 metric tonnes of copper in the first quarter, an increase of?4.8% over a year ago.

Exports of cobalt hydroxide, which is a form of cobalt, jumped 24.5% in the first quarter to 51,940 tonnes, or 17,054 tons. Gold exports, meanwhile, totaled 6.3 tonnes, worth $732 million.

Grace Mabaya is a senior official at the Mines Ministry. She said: "At this point, we haven't observed any major impacts on national production in relation to the supply of mining inputs."

Mabaya stated that the outlook for 2026 is 'widely positive', thanks to the strong demand for copper and the stability of mining operations.?Most miners also have long-term contracts with suppliers, keep strategic inventories, or purchase chemicals from local suppliers, which reduces the risk of major production losses.

He would not, however, rule out the possibility of higher costs and longer delivery times in the event that disruptions continue. Mabaya said that government export controls and quotas have a greater impact on Congo's cobalt trade, especially as the country pushes for reforms to exert more influence over the market. China's CMOC remained as the top exporter in the first quarter. Glencore also contributed significantly to the copper and cobalt shipments.

(source: Reuters)