The government of President Félix Tshisekedi has set an ambitious goal of $2.3 billion in public revenue generated solely from the cobalt sector. This represents a massive increase compared to the estimated $617 million that would have been generated without the Congolese government’s recent regulatory interventions, according to Africa Intelligence.
Through ARECOMS (the Strategic Minerals Regulatory and Control Agency), the government has established a quota of 96,600 tons of cobalt for 2026 and 2027 to manage market supply and support prices. Additionally, 10% (9,600 tons) has been earmarked for the DRC’s strategic reserve.
By limiting supply, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has successfully influenced global prices, which surged from approximately $21,000 per ton in early 2025 to over $56,000 in April 2026.
A New Regulatory Framework
The Tshisekedi presidency has decisively implemented a new regulatory framework for the precious minerals sector in 2026, primarily targeting the cobalt market to boost state revenues.
ARECOMS transitioned from an export moratorium in 2025 to a strict quota system in 2026 to support global market rates, which surpassed the $56,000 per ton mark this April.
China’s Role and Pressure
Chinese operators, most notably the **CMOC Group**, have pressured the Congolese government for larger quotas after being accused of driving down prices through overproduction.
Diplomatic Assurance: In late 2025, Kinshasa sent a delegation to Beijing to reassure Chinese authorities that this new policy is a matter of national sovereignty and is not influenced by the United States.
Drastic Cuts: CMOC, the world’s leading producer, was allocated a quota of only 31,200 tons for 2026. This volume represents barely 27% of its 2024 production and less than half of its output from the first nine months of 2025.
CMOC executives have described the situation as “hardly tolerable” and are lobbying for additional volumes, arguing that their new projects, such as Kisanfu (KFM), are being unfairly penalized by a calculation based on historical performance.
Aimé Binda
