GLOBAL BRIEFS

CONGO: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has imposed an immediate ban on exports of copper and cobalt concentrates. It marks a major step in the government’s strategy to expand domestic mineral processing and retain a larger share of the value generated by its vast mineral sector. The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and one of the leading suppliers of copper, both of which are essential for electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy technologies, and the global energy transition. Officials said the latest measures were intended to encourage mining companies to process minerals domestically rather than exporting raw c…