刚果（金）停止钴出口至6月以支撑价格

DRC halts cobalt exports until June to support prices

作为世界上最大的钴供应国，刚果民主共和国暂时停止这种重要矿产的出口，以帮助稳定市场。

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the world’s largest cobalt supplier, has temporarily halted exports of the critical mineral in an attempt to help stabilise the market.

该国矿业部下属的战略矿物物质市场监管和控制局（Arecoms）发布公告称，所有出口暂停四个月。Kallanish（开阑商务信息咨询）获悉，矿业经营者被告知该措施自2月22日起生效。

A communique issued by the Strategic Mineral Substances Market Regulation and Control Authority (Arecoms), under the country’s mines ministry, says all exports are suspended for four months. Mine operators were informed that the measure is effective from 22 February, Kallanish learns.

刚果当局将在三个月内复审该措施的效果，以确定是否终止或修改暂停措施。该禁令涵盖所有钴产地——工业、半工业、手工或小规模开采。

Congolese authorities will revise the effect of the measure within three months to establish whether the suspension will be terminated or modified. The ban covers all origins of cobalt – industrial, semi-industrial, artisanal or small-scale exploitation.

该部补充说：“这项措施的目的是在供应过剩的情况下稳定钴市场，加强供应链的可追溯性和控制，并促进矿石的本地加工。这也是一系列旨在加强监管和优化钴收入的行动的一部分。”

“This measure aims to stabilise the cobalt market in the face of excessive supply, to strengthen traceability and control of the supply chain, and to promote local processing of the ore,” the ministry adds. “It is part of a series of actions aimed at improving the regulation and optimisation of revenues from cobalt.”

刚果民主共和国第一大钴生产商中国CMOC的增产导致供应过剩，加上电池行业需求下降，钴价跌至历史最低水平。周一，伦敦金属交易所报告的现金报价为21,390美元/吨，买入价为20,890美元/吨。1月下旬，该交易所的价格从24,000美元/吨左右急剧下降至约21,000美元/吨。2023年1月，钴的售价约为50,000美元/吨。

Oversupply driven by the ramp-up of production by China’s CMOC, the No. 1 cobalt producer, in the DRC, coupled with lower demand from the battery sector, has crashed cobalt prices to historically low levels. On Monday, the LME reported a cash offer price of $21,390/t and a bid price of $20,890/tonne. The exchange saw a drastic price drop in late January from around $24,000/t to roughly $21,000/t. In January 2023, cobalt was selling at around $50,000/t.

尽管价格疲软，但中国一直在增加库存。中国拥有全球约80%的钴精炼能力。印度尼西亚也一直在增加这种矿产的产量，它是铜和镍矿开采的副产品。Cobalt Institute称，这个东南亚国家目前占全球钴供应量的11%，仅次于占76%份额的刚果民主共和国。

China has been building inventories despite weak prices. The country holds around 80% of the global cobalt refining capacity. Indonesia has also been increasing its production of the mineral, which is a byproduct of copper and nickel mining. The Southeast Asian country now accounts for 11% of the global cobalt supply, behind the DRC with a 76% share, according to the Cobalt Institute.

刚果民主共和国暂时禁止出口可能会刺激印度尼西亚以持续低价为代价增加其市场份额。

The temporary ban on DRC exports could provide Indonesia with an incentive to increase its market share at the expense of continued low prices.

刚果民主共和国钴矿商CMOC、Glencore和Eurasian Resources Group尚未对此决定发表公开评论。

DRC cobalt miners CMOC, Glencore and Eurasian Resources Group are yet to publicly comment on the decision.