Cobalt prices fall 31% as Congolese export quotas face a test
Cobalt hydroxide prices fell sharply in the third quarter as Congolese shipments returned to China and battery demand remained weak.
- Publish date: 2026-10-05
- Category: Mining & Minerals
- Original source: Mines.cd
- Reading time: 1 min
Quarterly price decline
Mines.cd reported on 5 October that Benchmark Mineral Intelligence measured a 31% third-quarter drop in Asian-delivered cobalt hydroxide, to $17.25 per pound. The report also cited a decline in cobalt sulfate and metal prices.
Exports and quotas
The article linked the correction partly to a rebound in Congolese supply to China after earlier shipment disruptions during the quota transition. It said the test for the DRC is whether the quota system can shape export flows as prices and battery demand shift.