The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned exports of copper and cobalt concentrates as part of a broader strategy to promote domestic mineral processing and capture more value from its vast mineral resources. The new government order, signed by three cabinet ministers, takes immediate effect, although the mining minister retains the authority to grant one-year waivers under strategic circumstances. Alongside the export ban, authorities introduced a new tax regime targeting economically significant mining by-products, with a three-month transition period before it takes full effect. As the world’s largest cobalt producer and second-largest supplier of copper, Congo hopes the measures will encourage greater investment in local refining while increasing government revenue from mineral resources.