Congolese cobalt falls as Chinese stocks return
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on RFI
Cobalt prices have fallen sharply after their 2025 surge, as Congolese shipments arrive at Chinese ports and recycling increases. The fall may also be explained by weak demand and possible adjustments to DR Congo’s quotas, according to Argus Media’s Tom Kavanagh, cited by RFI.
The price of cobalt hydroxide, a raw material exported by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), fell by nearly 43% between July and mid-October. Cobalt sulphate fell by more than 35% and metallic cobalt by 16% over the same period, according to the Cobalt Institute, which represents industry players in the sector.
The fall is due in part to Congolese cargoes exported during the first nine months of the year gradually arriving in China. Some volumes remain in transit or in the logistics chain, easing pressure on the Chinese market, says Tom Kavanagh, head of European metals pricing at Argus Media.
China could also produce between 20,000 and 25,000 tonnes of recycled cobalt a year. Chinese demand remains “sluggish”, according to the Cobalt Institute, while surplus stocks of some products still need to be absorbed. ARECOMS, the Congolese regulator of strategic mineral markets, has not ruled out adjusting quotas if the supply-demand imbalance worsens, reports the website mines.cd.
