Semafor published on 17 July 2026 an article titled "Africa's Mineral Export Bans Are Only the Opening Bid" by Yinka Adegoke.
China controls about 72 percent of global critical minerals processing capacity, giving it more leverage than the countries that produce the ore.
This has propelled a wave of resource nationalism in Africa as governments try to move up the value chain. The DRC, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Gabon are tightening controls on the export of raw minerals in order to force more value addition at home.
